Never Letting You Go
by HolyCrapScandal
Summary: It's been six months since Olivia left D.C. and a lot has happened since then. Especially with Fitz. Unable to wait any longer, he finds out where she's been hiding and heads out to see her. Can he convince her to come home? Does she even want to come home? Find out! (Working on the place where she's been because I'm still unsure as of right now.) Olitz! (T for now, then M later!)
1. Hi

((**Hello! We are back with a new story! I'm not sure how long this one is going to be since, currently, I have about five chapters in my mind right now and three written out. My best friend and I love Olitz so much and we're always up in our feels so we get ideas for new stories! Sometimes one shots, or sometimes longer ideas. Hope you all like this chapter and the plot of the story. We hated the finale, so we hope this will make up for it. Thank you for all your love and reviews on our other story 'The Fear Of Losing You' and we hope you like this one!**

**Also, I'm still trying to debate where Olivia currently is. Most likely out of the country, but we'll have that figured out soon. It's not too much of a big deal as to the location of where she's at, but still nice to know, right? :P Hope you all enjoy and sorry for any bad descriptions of anything haha))**

"I'll grab that!" Olivia Pope called across the hall to Jake Ballard whom was doing whatever in his room. She didn't hear anything from him when someone knocked on the door of their apartment door so she figured he was probably sleeping or showering or something. With a sigh, she set her laptop on the other side of the bed and slid off it; her bare feet touching the carpeted floor as she made her way out of her room. Dressed in a pair of blue shorts and a dark blue t-shirt, Olivia made her way down the hall and passed Jake's room; arriving in the spacious living room that had wooden floors and a circular indention in the middle of the floor where the two white couches were; on both sides of the black coffee table, one couch sitting towards the TV and the other with its back to it.

Once she arrived at the door of the apartment, Olivia stared through the peephole and what she saw made her heart stop and her breath catch in her throat. How was this possible? It couldn't be him! There was no way /he/ was here. She closed her eyes for a few moments and then re-opened them as if expecting that person to be gone, as if hoping she saw things, but she didn't so there was only one way for her to find out the reason he was standing on the other side of the door. Swallowing hard, Olivia unlocked both locks on the door and pulled the it open; her heart beating erratically in her chest from only standing right in front of /him/ after all of these months.

"Hi." The male greeted in that low, baritone voice that Olivia knew all too well. The voice that made her weak at the knees, the voice that did things to her, that made her feel like no other voice could. The voice she had grown to miss over her months of being away from D.C. Fitzgerald Grant.

"Hi." She greeted back; her mouth dry and hoarse as if she was losing her voice. She was just in shock and her eyes were even watering at the sudden surprise of him being here but she quickly blinked away the water that formed in her eyes. What was he doing here? Showing up without a notice or warning, but then again, this was Fitz and he was known for doing that. They both just stared; as if taking one another in after not seeing each other for…what was it? Six months? Six long months.

His blue eyes roved down her body, taking his time taking her in and even scanning her to make sure she was okay. No visible injuries, so that was good, he mused mentally. God, she still looked as beautiful as ever. Those beautiful dark eyes of her, that long, smooth hair and those soft, delicious lips. Everything.

His intense gaze sent a chill through Olivia's body. It was so intense, so hungry and so…longing. Her own eyes took him in, too, and she noted how charming, handsome and attractive he still looked. The soft hair she loved running her hands through, those beautiful baby blue eyes she found herself getting lost in, his perfectly muscled body and those lips of his. She swallowed thickly, trying to resist the urge to suddenly pull him in. After not seeing him for months and seeing him now, the thirst for him was incredible. She missed him more than anything, but she tried not to.

"What are you doing here?" She was the first to break the silence and what better way than with one of her most used questions. Her eyes stared up at his face and she remained in her home as if she felt safer there; trying to keep her distance so she didn't fall into his charm. Into his gravity.

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked, his eyes never leaving hers. His intention for being here was quite obvious.

"To bring me back?" Olivia asked somewhat sarcastically. This is what she did when she got scared, when she tried to protect herself; she became sarcastic, cold and defensive. "Because I'm not going back, Fitz." She stated sternly which caused the man in front of her to frown.

"I mostly came here to talk to you and to see how you were doing," He responded, obviously hurt by her words, but he tried to hide it.

"Well, I'm fine. Great, even. What did you need to talk about?" She asked, getting straight to the point. She worried about spending too long of time with him because she would start missing him more and she would find it hard to resist falling into his arms and asking him to stay, but she knew she couldn't. She wouldn't allow it.

"I'm divorced." He started, his eyes watching her face closely for any reaction.

His words caused her body to tense up and she felt her hand clench the doorknob she was holding. She knew he was divorced; she had seen it on the news and it partly made her want to go back to D.C. just to see him, but also to help his administration which seemed to be suffering from said divorce, but she resisted. She made herself stay and she forced herself to stop watching the news so it didn't make the urge and temptation to go back even worse.

"I know." Was all she said, a hard swallow falling down her throat as she stared at him. He was now a single man, free from his marriage like he had wanted to be for so many years, but Olivia and everyone else tried to stop him every single time he tried to divorce Mellie.

His face turned into one of disappointment at her seemingly calm reaction, but he somewhat expected it, too. She didn't look the least bit excited or hopeful about this news and it disappointed him. A lot. "I'm happy about it." He said despite the frown on his face. "You and everyone else thought I would regret it; that it would destroy me and my Presidency, but it hasn't." He let out a small chuckle."Well, it hurt my administration at first, but we're getting back in the groove now. Mellie was amiable about it and that helped the American people understand that the divorce was the right thing and look at me now. I'm happy, I don't regret it and my Presidency is doing fine." Fitz informed Liv, his arms folding across his chest.

Olivia's own lips formed into a frown and she stared down at the ground. He got a divorce, he succeeded with it, and she had been away the whole time. Did she regret it? Yes, and no. Yes because she wasn't there to help him and she knew he probably struggled, that he had no support, and also because now he was single and it was something she always wanted. But at the same time she didn't regret it because her being there could have made it a lot worse. As the scandal, she had to leave in order to fix herself, as well as fixing Fitz and his Presidency and that seemed to work. Her leaving seemed to help him because he was able to get the divorce without her there to argue against it or to try to stop him. Olivia always tried to stop the divorce from happening because she always thought it would destroy his Presidency and himself, but she was proven wrong.

"So, is that what you came here to tell me? 'I told you so'?" Liv asked, her own arms folding across her chest.

Fitz let out a scoff, feeling his self become a little angry. "I wanted to prove a point to you, and I thought this might make you happy or proud or –" He started, but she had cut him off.

"Or what? Hopeful? Happy and hopeful that now that you're single we could be together? That I would just come back and be with you?" Olivia asked, her voice cracking, but she masked it by clearing her throat. Deep down, she did want that, but she couldn't allow it. She couldn't go back and be the scandal all over again. That and her pride wouldn't allow her to admit she was wrong and that she missed him; that she missed them.

Fitz's eyes narrowed into somewhat of a glare now at how cold she was being towards him. "I just wanted to tell you the good news! I came all this way just to see you; to see how you were doing and to tell you the news that /I/ thought was great. It wasn't to bring you back, Liv, it was just – I missed you. You were the first one I wanted to tell, you're the one person I wanted to talk to, that I always want to talk to so I searched for you. I probably shouldn't have because you just left me without a word, but I wanted to find you and tell you everything." He explained, the anger and pain visible in his voice. "I wish you would come back, yes, but I didn't come here to drag you back. Only to see you and to talk with you for the day or two that I'm here before I have to head back to D.C. I miss you like crazy; it isn't the same without you, but I understood why you left and I won't force or pressure you to come back. Especially not if you're…happy." That word was hard for him to say mostly because he didn't want her to be happy without him. Well, he did, he always wanted her to be happy, but he'd rather they be happy together.

With a sigh, Olivia leaned her head against the door and closed her eyes with a nod. "I just…I don't want you to try to convince me to go back, Fitz, because I can't. I left to fix myself. I needed the fixing because I'm the scandal and that wouldn't have changed as long as I was there and as long as you and I were…" She swallowed hard as her eyes opened and locked with his sad blue eyes. "I had to leave." She added, her voice soft again as she saw the pained look in his eyes. A pained, longing look that hurt Olivia to see. God she missed him, but she wouldn't bring herself to admit that.

"Livvie, I get that you feel that way, that you need to leave but I –"

"Liv?" Came a voice from inside the building, from behind Olivia a few feet away. Fitz's eyes looked behind her and what Fitz saw made him sick to his stomach and also made him angry and very jealous. It was Jake Ballard, emerging from the nearby hallway dressed only in a towel wrapped around his waist and nothing else.

"You have company. Right. I forgot, stupid me." Fitz said, his calm, soft, and loving demeanor immediately changing into one of anger and jealous; as well as regret for coming here.

"Fitz, wait." Olivia protested in panic when she saw him start to back away. "It's not what –"

"No, it's fine. You're living your life, Liv. You're fixing yourself and you're happy. Coming here was a mistake and I'm sorry for that. It was a stupid mistake and it won't happen again." He said with a humorless chuckle and his eyes were even starting to water with the realization that Olivia was happy without him…and with someone else. Clearing his throat, he immediately turned away from her so she couldn't see the hurt expression on his face and the tears in his eyes, but she probably saw it anyway so he started to walk away from the door.

"Fitz!" Olivia called after him, her heart breaking from the expression on his face and the tears that she saw in his eyes. Part of her wanted to run after him, but before she made that decision, he was in the car driving off. Her own eyes watered and she clenched the doorknob tightly before she slammed the door shut and turned around, glaring coldly at Jake.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" She shouted at Jake who stood there pretending to be confused; his arms hanging down his side.

"What? I heard you talking to someone so I came out to make sure everything was alright." He explained, almost glaring back at her.

"By coming out wearing only a towel? Really?" She asked with a scoff, obviously not believing him.

"I was about to jump in the shower, Liv, but then I heard – "

"No, Jake. You knew it was Fitz at the door so you came out wearing only that because it was /him/! And you knew that if you walked out looking like that, he would leave!" Olivia corrected his story and Jake let out a sigh and folded his arms over his chest.

"He would have been trying to convince you to go back with him, Olivia. He would have told you how much he loves you, how much he missed you; trying to draw you back in with his charm and sappy love speeches!" He raised his voice a little bit and Olivia just stared at him in disbelief.

"You had /no/ right to do this. I was handling it; I was taking care of it and I /wanted/ to talk to him, Jake. Why are you acting like you and I are together when you /know/ we're NOT!?" Olivia shouted as she started heading towards the hallway.

"You left D.C. to get away from everyone including him, Liv! You came out here to fix yourself and now he comes out here which defeats the whole purpose. I was trying to help you!" He shouted back as she walked passed him, causing him to turn around and watch her.

"I don't need your help! I didn't bring you out here to /help/ me or because we were starting a new life together or standing in the sun. You wanted to get away, too, so I brought you for yourself, not for me. We are /not/ together, Jake, so what you did was wrong and it was an asshole move!" She shouted as she arrived at her room. "I haven't seen him in six months, so yes, I do miss him and I did want to talk to him, but I wasn't planning on going back. I –" Despite saying that, she felt like she was lying to herself. Like she /wanted/ to go back, but she was trying so hard not to. "We're not together, so stop trying to pretend that we are." With that, she entered her room and slammed her door shut before locking it.

Tears fell from her dark brown eyes as she leaned against the door, and she angrily reached up with a hand to wipe them away as she thought about what happened. He was going to be here until tomorrow so she had time to still talk to him; to apologize for what happened and maybe talk to him if he still wanted to. A battle of emotions was going inside her mind as a part of her mind was screaming at her not to, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want, nor could, leave things like this; she didn't want him to leave hating her or thinking she left D.C. to be with someone else. So, after making up her mind, she pulled her phone out from her pocket and searched for his number. Her thumb hovered over the 'call' button for a few moments while her heart started beating erratically in her chest and after taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves, she pressed down on the button and put the phone to her ear; her eyes closing again as she waited for him to answer. Or rather, hoped that he would answer.


	2. Chapter 2

**((Thank you all so much for the reviews on the first chapter! We're so glad you liked the story! For those that hate Jake, so do we! Haha. He won't e a threat in this story, so don't worry. It's Olitz all the way This chapter is a little shorter, but the next one is pretty long! Hope you enjoy this one and once again, thank you for the reviews! :) ))**

Right after getting in the back of the silver SUV, Fitz instructed his driver to take him straight to the hotel. There was a deep frown stuck on his face due to the conversation he had with Olivia, but more so what happened after it, or during, rather. It made him even regret coming out here in the first place, but he just had to see her. He /had/ to see Olivia and make sure she was actually alive and okay, and also because he missed her like crazy. He had never missed anyone in his life as much as he missed Olivia, but it almost felt pointless coming out here. Yes, he came out to check on her, but he also wanted to tell her the news about his divorce and maybe see if she wanted to come home, but much to his dismay, she didn't. She hardly showed a reaction to his divorce, as if she didn't care anymore, and it hurt. But he supposed it was his own fault for waiting too long, even though he tried multiple times, but certain circumstances prevent said divorce from ever happening. Still, most of it was his fault and he wished he had done it sooner, but then again, would it have made a difference back then?

A heavy sigh fell from his lips as he thought over his time with Olivia, but the pain started to flood his heart so he tried his hardest to push those memories to the back of his head. They were done. For good this time and he didn't think there was anything he could do this time. She left him, she was gone for six months without a word, and she was happy. Happy with her new life, happy without him and happy with...Jake. The thought made him sick to his stomach and he clenched his hands as his eyes shut tight; the tears he had in them moments ago were returning and this time, they managed to escape his eyes. He lost his true love; he lost the most important person in his life and there seemed to be no way of getting her back. He certainly didn't want to pressure or force her to come back, and if she happy, well, he wouldn't ruin that. He also felt angry at her. Angry that she left him without a word and angry that she took Jake with her and they were in a relationship. He hated the thought and he hoped that his anger would help him move on.

The sound of his phone ringing startled him out of his deep thoughts, but once he realized what it was, he felt himself calm down. He recognized the ring tone. He knew exactly who it was, but why was she calling? He took his phone out of his pocket and stared at the name that was lit up on the front screen of his phone. It read: "Livvie" and it had the cutest picture of her smiling widely with those cheeks all puffed up. He ran his hand over her picture and moved his thumb over the answer button, but then he rethought it. He sighed to himself and lowered his phone to his lap, deciding to ignore the call. What good would it do? Talking to her would only hurt more because he had no chance with her anymore, and she was probably just calling to explain her relationship with Jake Ballard which he wasn't interested in hearing. Then his phone rang again, it being Olivia for the second time, but he refused to answer it.

About ten minutes passed since the second call ended and he figured she gave up on calling him until he received a text from her. It read:

"_Please answer. We need to talk. Please, Fitz." _

After thinking about it for a couple of moments, Fitz shook his head and eventually gave in, pressing the 'Call' button under her name and bringing the phone to his ear, waiting for her to answer.

Finally! Olivia cheered mentally when her phone started ringing, it being Fitz calling. She already knew what she wanted to say first, so after taking a deep breath to prepare herself, she pressed 'answer' and put the phone to her ear.

"I'm not with Jake." She immediately informed him, knowing that was the reason he left earlier.

"You don't need to explain, Liv, and you don't have to lie." He mumbled in disbelief. He knew what he saw; how could it be any different?

"Fitz, I'm /not/ lying. I know what it looked like, but it wasn't that at all. Jake and I aren't together. He was getting in the shower and he heard me talking to someone so he just came out to see who it was." She quickly explained as if she was afraid he would hang up.

"Olivia, you live with him. You took him with you out of D.C., you've been gone with him for six months and are living with him and he walks around wrapped only in a towel and you expect me to believe you're not with him? That you haven't been sleeping with him this whole time?" He asked with a scoff, his voice full of anger, hurt and jealousy; but more so of the last two.

"Yes." She stated simply, her voice honest, but also angry at his accusation and that he didn't believe her. But she supposed he had that right due to her leaving six months ago and what he saw now. "He wasn't even supposed to be walking around like that. I think he did it on purpose because he knew it was you, but the point is, I am /not/ with him. We haven't slept together at all. We...almost did, but I couldn't." She admitted, her voice softening. "We agreed it would remain strictly platonic because I refused to be romantically involved with him or anyone else right now. I – I can't. I needed to fix myself, and he came along because he needed to get away, too." She sighed, crossing her legs as she sat on her bed. "But I promise you, we're not together." She assured him once again. She honestly didn't even know why she was telling him all of this. Why she was trying so hard to get him to believe she wasn't with Jake or anyone else. It wasn't his business. It was her life, but part of her felt like he had a right to know...like she wanted to assure him, but why? Well, she didn't want him hurt, and she didn't want him to think she left to be with Jake or that she was in love with him, because she wasn't. She was still madly in love with Fitz, but that was something else she could not and would not admit.

There was silence on his end. He had his eyes closed, thinking over everything she said and the pause was starting to worry her. She was starting to worry he hung up, but she didn't hear the click on his end to show that.

Fitz? Are you still -"

"Come meet me." He suggested, his voice softer and calmer now.

"What?" She asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"Come meet me. At my hotel," He repeated. "Let's talk here where we can be alone and not have any interruptions. It's been six months, we need to talk." He suggested calmly, but his voice had a hint of pleading to it.

"Fitz, I don't think that's a good idea..." She whispered. It was more of a bad idea for herself than for him. She was afraid that being alone with him would lead to bad things. Bad for her because she was trying to fix herself, and falling into his arms or his bed certainly wouldn't help. She was still deeply in love with him, and being alone with him right now scared her, but she wouldn't admit that.

"Livvie, please." He said in a soft, pleading whisper. The way her special nickname rolled off of his tongue made her shiver and frown; her heart clenching painfully in her chest. She missed hearing him call her that, but again, she couldn't admit that. "It's been six months. I have so much to tell you and I have to head back tomorrow early afternoon. Please, let me just -" He sighed, frowning deeply. "Let me just be around you and talk to you for as long as I can before I have to head back. This isn't a plot to bring you back with me, or to convince you to come back, it's just me wanting to see you and us needing to talk and catch up." He finished, worriedly waiting for her response. "Please."

"Okay." She hesitantly agreed after a few moments of silent thinking.

"Okay?" He questioned, needing to make sure he heard that right.

"Okay," She repeated herself, just as hesitantly, but more sure.

"Okay." He repeated her, sounding relieved and even happy. "Once we hang up, I'll text you with the address." He informed her, but he could tell she wasn't as happy as he was about this.

"Fitz, this isn't... we can't -" She started to remind him.

"I know." He said sadly, and he really did know. He wouldn't do anything she didn't want to do. He wouldn't make her feel uncomfortable or pressured or anything like that, but he just needed to see her. Six months without her were the toughest six months of his life. Almost as tough as when she first resigned, if not more, and to be honest, this was probably worse. Because she disappeared on him without a word and he really thought they were over and that it was his fault that she left and he berated and hated himself every day for it. But since he had to leave for D.C. tomorrow, he just wanted to be with her as long as possible. It would hurt more when he left, but he couldn't leave without seeing her.

"I'll be there in about an hour or two." She said, starting to wonder if she should change her mind, but it was too late.

"Okay. Hang up, I have to get ready for you." He teased softly with a smile on his lips and it grew when he heard her beautiful chuckle on the other side, followed by the line going dead.

Fitz felt his smile grow at the thought of her coming, but then it faded at the reminder that nothing could happen. That this didn't necessarily mean anything, but at least he would be able to see her.

Olivia stared at her phone for the longest time after she hung up and she closed her eyes, already regretting agreeing to meet with him, but maybe it wouldn't be that bad. Maybe they could bring closure to their relationship, to them. To clarify that they were done. Still, the thought of being alone with him worried her because whenever she was alone with him, she always wanted to be close. She wanted to be touching him in some way, and to be touched by him, but she would have to resist this time and that would be harder knowing that he was divorced now. That he was free and single, that he wasn't off-limits anymore and that she actually /could/ touch him without feeling guilty or ashamed about it. That she could freely be with the man she loved more than anything and could finally have, but at the same time, couldn't.

Taking a deep breath, Olivia shook her head and got up from her bed, grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom to shower and get ready to meet Fitz at his hotel.


	3. Chapter 3

**((Hi! Thank you again for all of the amazing reviews! We're so happy so many of you are enjoying this story! It's fun writing it and both my best friend and I keep drowning in feels. Geez, it's amazing what Olitz can do to us, huh? Anyway, sorry for the delay! Been pretty busy due to work this weekend! **

**Originally this chapter was longer than this, but I decided to separate them because...well, you'll see in the chapter after this one. :P A certain scene I wanted to have its own chapter and that will be coming next. Hope you enjoy this one!))**

After Olivia showered and changed into a more appropriate attire for going out, she drove to the address Fitz texted her and sat in her car for the longest time thinking over what she was doing. She felt like she should just drive back to her place before Fitz saw her because she was really starting to regret coming here. Being alone with Fitz scared her because she didn't know if she fully trusted herself to be alone with him yet since she was still so in love with him. But then she remembered what he said about knowing what they couldn't do and that he understood that. So, maybe it wouldn't be all that bad. They would just talk and catch up, and Olivia trusted Fitz. He always cared about her and how she felt and wanted and she knew he wouldn't pressure her or make her feel uncomfortable. He would respect her wishes and how she felt.

After making up her mind, she unbuckled herself, got out of the car and shut the door before heading into the large building and navigating her way to his room. He was on the fifth floor in the largest Presidential Suite which she wasn't surprised about and when she turned the corner to the hall that held his room, she saw two SS Agents standing guard at his door. She sighed and headed over and the two men immediately eyed her, but recognized her as being Olivia Pope and knew the President was expecting her. With a nervous breath, she raised her hand and knocked on the door before lowering her hand back down and waiting for him to open.

Fitz had been ready for about half an hour and he was dressed in dark blue perfectly fitted jeans with a dark blue, button up dressed shirt and a muscle shirt underneath it. It was tucked into his jeans which had a brown belt through the loops holding his jeans against his waist with showed off his groin and buttocks quite nicely. He wasn't exactly dressed all fancy and formally, and he knew he didn't need to be, but he still wanted to look nice for Olivia. It had been six months and he wanted this to be a good time for them even though he was still devastated about what happened and crushed that they weren't, and couldn't be, together. But maybe, maybe they could make up for lost time and maybe with them spending some time together, it would make her want to come home.

Hearing the knock on his door, Fitz cleared his throat and ran his hand through his smooth hair before he headed to the door and opened it; his lips immediately forming into a smile when he saw her standing there. The love of his life. Olivia Pope.

"Hi." He greeted softly, his heart skipping a beat at how beautiful she looked in the casual clothes she was wearing. Black slacks and a v-neck light purple blouse which had a slightly glittery design to it.

"Hi." She greeted back just as softly, but he could still hear, and sense, the hesitance in her voice about being here.

"I'm glad you came." He added, stepping aside to let her in before closing the door behind her.

She gave him a smile in response and let out a little nervous chuckle. "I almost changed my mind." She admitted and he couldn't help but smirk at that.

"I figured, but I'm glad you didn't. It's been six months, Liv. I'd like to know what trouble you've been up to for this long." He teased lightly, trying to bring in some humor to help her feel a little more comfortable.

She let out a chuckle of her own and shrugged as she stepped into the main area of the Presidential suite that had one white couch facing the large flat screen TV on the wall and a large white recliner chair at the end of the couch facing the window that was right next to the large white couch. The white recliner was directly facing the window, sitting on the long end of the black coffee table whereas the couch was on the width side.

"No trouble. I'm just...trying to -" She started, but he cut in.

"Fix yourself." He finished for her, a sad smile on his face and she gave him a nod. "And how is that going?" Fitz asked as they walked into the living room together and over to the couch.

"It's..." She sighed, not sure what to say. How was it going? Not good. She didn't even feel like leaving helped at all. Heck, it may have even made her feel worse, but she wouldn't bring herself to admit that. Especially not to him."going fine." She finished and Fitz quirked a brow.

He could pretty much tell that was a lie. If it worked, if leaving made her happy, why did she sound so sad? She sounded regretful and guilty, and like she actually wasn't happy being out here. That both made him sad and a little happy. Maybe she would want to come back. "Are you sure?" He decided to ask, his voice soft and considerate.

Olivia looked over at him with her brown eyes, knowing he was able to read her. She hated that he knew her so well and that after all this time, he could still read her so easily.

"Do you ever miss D.C.? Your work, your friends?" He asked, debating whether to ask this next question, but he had to. He had to at least try to find out. "Do you ever miss..." He swallowed hard and Olivia had the feeling she knew what he was going to say. "Us?" He finally finished, his heart clenching painfully at that simple two letter word.

"Fitz," She warned with a shake of her head as she looked away from him, tempted to leave before the conversation got even more sad. Her voice had a warning tone to it, and he picked up on it immediately.

"I know, sorry. I'll..." He sighed, defeated, and nodded as he headed into the kitchen. "Uh, do you want something to drink?" He asked, quickly changing the subject in hopes she wouldn't leave and thankfully she didn't. "I have wine." He added, knowing that would probably tempt her.

"Sure." She accepted with a nod of her head, sitting down on the white couch and staring out of the window nearby that overlooked the parking lot and the beautiful lake behind it.

He popped open the bottle of wine and poured two glasses before walking over to where she was sitting and handing her the glass which she took with a smile. "Thank you." She said, then furrowed her brows when she noticed him with a glass of wine, too.

"I've tried to stay away from the scotch again. I made a promise to someone that I would." He reminded her, but also himself too; his smile showing on his face once more and she returned it. She knew what he was talking about; the promise he made to her to stop drinking scotch after he got so wasted one night out of anger and hurt. It scared her. Not for herself, but for him that one day he would get seriously hurt or even worse. Alcohol could do that to someone and she hated the thought of Fitz becoming a victim because of it.

"But when Jerry died and you left," He sighed and Olivia tensed at his words; her heart clenching painfully. "I went back to it for a while and now I'm trying to stop again." The memory of Jerry's death and Olivia's disappearance started to make its way back into his mind and he felt his eyes water because of it. It all felt so fresh sometimes, like it only happened yesterday, but he knew it didn't. Still, the remembrance that it happened in the first place was enough to break him again. He looked at the empty spot next to her on the couch, tempted to sit next to her and be close to her, but he decided against it so he opted for the white chair at the end of the couch.

"So you're drinking wine." She quickly changed the subject, her eyes apologetic and sad. She hated that she left him right after Jerry died, but she felt so guilty for his death; she felt responsible because her mother was the one that killed his son and she couldn't be around Fitz let alone look at him without feeling responsible. She hated herself for leaving at such a difficult time for Fitz, the time when he probably needed her most and she just disappeared, but she felt that without her, he would do better. He needed time to grieve with his family and she felt responsible for destroying so much in his life. He needed time without her and she didn't deserve to be around him.

"I'm drinking wine," He repeated with a chuckle. "It's not bad, actually. I see why you're so addicted to it." He smirked at her and she laughed.

"I'm not addicted to wine." She countered, taking a sip of her wine. "I love it, but I'm not addicted."

"Oh, come on! Don't you drink about three bottles a day?" He teased with a laugh and she shot him a glare before throwing one of the couch cushions at him.

"I do not drink that much wine! Shut up!" Olivia laughed loudly, as did Fitz.

"Hey! Careful! You're going to make me spill this!" He held up his wine when she threw the cushion at him. "I would say you know how it feels, but you're so addicted to this stuff that you never spill a drop! That takes skill right there." He continued to tease her and she laughed even more; her dark cheeks starting to heat up at the embarrassment she was feeling. But deep down, she was enjoying it.

"If you don't stop, I'm going to go over there and throw this wine in your face." She playfully threatened as she continued to laugh; her eyes even watering. at this point. They laughed for a good couple of minutes. clenching their stomachs and wiping their eyes. Both of them loved how easy it was for them to still smile and laugh with each other; how easy it felt and so good and so right. Fitz wondered how he went so long without seeing her smile, hearing her beautiful laughter and just laughing with her. Laughter that he only did so much with her, more than he did with anyone else.

And Olivia started to feel the same. She let out another chuckle as her laughter died down giving him that beautiful smile of hers which made him smile even more. His heart fluttered powerfully in his chest and he wanted nothing more than to kiss those wonderful lips of hers; he wanted nothing more than to make her keep smiling and laughing like she deserved to, but then again, what if kissing her did the opposite?

"You have the most beautiful smile, Livvie." Fitz complimented sweetly, his blue eyes staring at her lovingly and his comment, as well as the way he was looking at her, made her blush even more.

She lowered her gaze to her wine glass, trying to hide her blush, swishing the red liquid inside as her smile began to fade and it soon turned into a frown. His compliments, his smile and the way he looked at her, all of that had such a powerful effect on her. No one had ever said such sweet things to her like Fitz did, and definitely not as often as he did. No one had ever made her smile or laugh so much, no one had ever made her feel so special or loved. It was always only Fitz. And to be honest, she missed it, she missed him, but once again, she couldn't bring herself to admit it. She couldn't let herself feel that way, but it was too late. She felt her eyes start to dampen and she quickly cleared her throat to make the tears and the crack in her voice go away before speaking up again.

"So, how's your Presidency?" She asked, opting to change the subject like she usually did whenever she was uncomfortable, flustered or tried to avoid another subject.

The reason for her changing the subject wasn't lost on him, but he went along with it anyway. "Good. Like I said, when I came out with the divorce, my Presidency suffered a major blow, but once Mellie agreed with it and stated it was something she also wanted and thought was best, things started to get better. It's still a little rocky, but we're getting back to one hundred percent. Or close, anyway." He answered, his eyes moving to his left hand which had no ring on it anymore and it felt good. He felt free; he felt happy, but he would be happier if he was with Olivia. Being single was great, but being with Olivia would be even better. The greatest thing in the world.

Olivia also looked at his left hand and she couldn't help but feel so relieved that the divorce was a success. Not just because he proved he could do it and still remain President, but because he was single. He was free. She felt relieved about it and she knew she couldn't. Not anymore anyway since she left him, so it was selfish and unfair to feel that way, wasn't it? She couldn't help but think about being with Fitz now that he was single. All of the things they could do together and not having to hide themselves from the public, not having to hide their love; it sounded so amazing, so tempting and so fun, but it wasn't fair or right of her to want or wish that. Not after she disappeared on him during what was probably the most difficult time of his life.

"How did you get Mellie to agree on the divorce? I honestly didn't think she would /ever/ agree to it." Olivia asked, taking another drink of her wine.

"It wasn't easy." He chuckled, glancing at her. "Andrew helped me with it." That surprised Olivia.

Her eyes widened. "Andrew? But I thought you didn't want him and Mellie together?" He didn't exactly say that's how it went, but Olivia knew. Why else would he ask for Andrew's help to have Mellie agree with the divorce?

"I lied." He replied simply, looking over at her. "When you asked me what I needed, what I /really/ needed after I found out that Mellie and Andrew were scr- together." He started, hanging one leg over the other and turning more towards her "I said I needed you to stop them, but that wasn't true, Liv. That wasn't what I needed, but I knew if I said what I /really/ needed, you would have shut me down."

Liv quirked a brow, a little confused and hurt at his words. "Why did you lie to me, Fitz? What did you really need that you couldn't tell me?"

"A divorce." He answered, sighing. "I wanted to tell you that what I really needed was to divorce Mellie. To end this dead marriage so I could move on with my life and she could move on with hers, but I knew that if I told you that, you would have shut me down and walked out. Just like every other time I've talked about divorce." He said with a soft chuckle, waiting for her response, to see if she would deny that, but she didn't.

He was right. She wouldn't have agreed with the divorce at that moment if he told it to her., just like all of those other moments. Yet many other times that made her feel guilty and unworthy of his love. "You still could have told me." She shrugged and he shook his head.

"The other reason I didn't say anything was because I didn't want you to think I was jealous of her. I didn't want you to think I wanted a divorce because I was hurt that Mellie was cheating on me. I wasn't. I wasn't hurt, I wasn't jealous. I was relieved. Hell, I was happy, even! Mellie had someone else and that meant she wouldn't keep coming after me., that she wouldn't keep hanging on to me for the sake of power or hope that we could fix our marriage." He smirked, glad that he was free from Mellie and her manipulative ways, but also glad that she was also free and happy.

Olivia was relieved that he wasn't jealous or hurt over Mellie and Andrew, and to be honest, she thought he had been. Especially after the conversation she overheard about their past and how their marriage came undone, but she also knew it didn't change anything for her and Fitz. It didn't change his love for her and it didn't change Olivia's love for him, either. Sure she felt a little unsure at first, but he still tried to be with her even after that, so it assured Olivia that she wasn't a rebound or something. She was still the love of his life.

"Anyway, Andrew and I talked things over and I told him I wanted him to be with Mellie. I knew he really loved her and she deserves to have someone who does. Because that isn't me. I don't love her. I may love her as the mother of my child and my friend, but that's all. Nothing more than that." He said, softly, as if assuring her. He took in a small breath before continuing. "So, Andrew agreed. He went to go talk to Mellie and then I joined in on the conversation later and she was pissed. She felt like I was using Andrew only to manipulate her, but I told her I wasn't. I told her our marriage was over and that there was no repairing it and that she should be with someone she loves that loves her back. Of course, Mellie being Mellie, she didn't want to lose her power and I told her she would. Only as First Lady, but that she would still have her political knowledge and that made her just as powerful and successful and that I would back her in whatever career she wanted to pursue."

Olivia smiled. Fitz had always been such a sweet and generous man and it warmed her heart to see him being so considerate and fair when it came to this divorce. Especially after all the horrible things Mellie had done. "Did that convince her?" She asked, tilting her head with a smile; completely interested now.

"She had to think about it a little more, but I didn't want to wait so I went on camera and I announced the divorce to the public without warning anyone." He smirked and Olivia's eyes went wide.

"Fitz! Are you insane?" She asked in shock and Fitz laughed.

"It actually helped! Mellie realized she had no choice in the matter but to agree to it and she realized it really was the best thing. So, she made an appearance of her own and confirmed the divorce; assuring the public that it was an amicable divorce, that we both thought it over hard and long and came to the conclusion that it was what was best for us both and the kids." He smiled and Olivia was so surprised it happened like that. She expected Mellie to start a war, to drop some sort of bomb on Fitz and his Presidency that would destroy him, but that didn't seem to happen.

"So, if it happened like that, how did your Presidency suffer a blow?" She asked, confused.

"Mellie and I..." He sighed, his face softening and it worried Olivia. "We admitted to being in love with other people as another reason for our divorce." He admitted to Olivia and her body tensed up, quickly looking away from him. He knew she had so many questions rushing through her mind and he looked down at his nearly empty glass. "We didn't say who." He assured her and Olivia felt her body relaxed, but she was still surprised they admitted to being in love with other people.

"The American people were disappointed that we lied about our marriage and fell in love with other people. They were especially disappointed in me since I was held to a higher standard and was a role model to so many, so my ratings fell and we took a big hit, but after a few more press conferences, some damage control and a few public outings, things got rolling again." He said with a proud smile and she smiled back at him. She was truly happy everything worked out for him, but she also felt...sad. Sad that she wasn't there for him, sad she wasn't there to help and sad she wasn't there /with/ him.

Truth be told, very time he talked about divorce she was worried he wouldn't actually do it. She was worried he would choose the Presidency over her. that he would realize his career was better than being with her, and that he wouldn't actually divorce and though he didn't necessarily choose his career over her, he still never divorced. But she was also to blame for that. She walked away whenever he was ready to give everything up for her, to divorce and even resign if necessary, but she walked away. She walked away, but each time she did it for him. For his own sake, for the sake of his career, yet she regretted it every time because she was walking away from the man she loved most. She was walking away from the man she wanted to be with more than anything and she had walked away once again.

She wondered what it would have been like if she stayed, though, while he was getting the divorce. She would still be in the headlines and she knew it.

_Is Olivia Pope the man President Fitzgerald Grant loves?_

_Is Olivia Pope really the mistress?_

_Olivia seen around Fitzgerald Grant after he announces divorce; is she the other woman he loves?_

Being there during the divorce would have been chaotic, especially if she was seen around him, so it turned out to be best that she left. If she had stayed, it could have been so much worse due to the rumors, the publicity, the constant questioning, etc. But the thought of him being single swirled around her mind and she couldn't help but think about them being together now. Going on dates, holding hands, kissing, working together as themselves...just not having to hide themselves and their love. But she didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve him. He deserved someone better than her; a woman who could actually be there and support him instead of running away as much as she did. And she couldn't promise she wouldn't do it again. She couldn't have him. Even though he was divorced, it didn't mean that he was hers. He wasn't. And most likely, he'd never be.

"I'm a free man, Livvie." He said, which brought her out of her thoughts. "I'm a free man and I can be the man I want to be. The man I became because of you, the man I became when I was /with you/. The man you /helped/ me find and become." He said with a sweet smile and she felt her heart flutter at his sweet words. "I can be the man I always wanted to be...with you." He added and Olivia quickly looked away with a tearful smile, but she let out a soft cough and quickly wiped her eyes with a small chuckle to try and hide it.

"Fitz, we -" She began, but he cut in.

"I know. I know." He then stood up from his chair and slowly made his way over to her; standing in front of her and looking down at her as she sat on the couch. Her heart was starting to pick up pace and her stomach was doing a bunch of flips while filling up with warmth and her nerves were sky rocketing. That's what happened when he got close to her like this. She watched him sit down next to her and she could feel the heat radiating from his body. His scent, that masculine scent of his was filling her nostrils completely and it was making her feel things. Arousal, warmth, relaxation, everything she always felt when she was around him. Especially when they were this close.

"I know what I said, but Livvie..." He sighed, setting his glass on the table and moving one hand over hers which made her flinch. "Everything turned out fine. I got divorced and that was always the first step of our plan, remember? The first step to our life together." His voice was soft and husky, and his touch was gentle and tender. She was melting to both of those things, and she shifted in her seat to try and move further away from him, but her body felt heavy. As if his gravity was keeping her close to him and preventing her from moving away.

"And it's not too late," He whispered and she turned her head to look at him; her brown eyes slightly damp and she knew she couldn't wipe them without making it obvious. Instead she only blinked a couple of times to clear the water that was blurring her vision., but that caused the loose tears to fall from her eyes and she shook her head in hopes to hide it. "We can still put forth the plan that we thought of together and with the American people already in understanding and having knowledge that I am in love with someone else, it will make it so much easier." He tried to convince her, his fingers curling around her hand and with a shake of her head, she leaned over to set her glass of wine down on the table.

"Fitz, it wouldn't change anything! I would still be seen as the mistress, as the scandal and I don't want to be that!" She shouted, turning to face him which caused her heart to skip a beat at the closeness; their knees touching. She swallowed hard, trying to stop herself from melting just by the simplest touch. "The only thing that would be different is that you're the first President, the first person, to actually divorce and be with his mistress. We would still be a scandal and that would be another blow to your Presidency." She said to him, and Fitz's eye filled with sadness and loss of hope, but also some anger. He hated when she called herself a mistress.

"Stop calling yourself a mistress! You are not anything like a mistress. You're the love of my life, Olivia, the person I want to be with and I don't want to give up on that. I don't want to give up on you, on us, on Vermont..." He swallowed thickly and Olivia closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"There is no Vermont, Fitz. There can't be a Vermont!" She turned her head away and wiped the tears that threatened to come forth. Fitz deserved better than her and she was scared. She couldn't do this, it was too late, wasn't it? And she didn't trust herself not to run away again. Not to mention, she felt like thing would keep coming between them and making them break up. "Even if we be together, people will never let go of me being the mistress and I will always be seen as that! I can't go back to D.C. with you, especially not this soon after you got this divorce. We can't." She wanted to cry, but she also didn't want to. She couldn't. She hated saying no to Fitz like this, especially when they probably did have a chance, but there was too much preventing her from going back and being with him; too much that scared her and made her feel like she didn't deserve him. Especially not after she left him shortly after his son's death. She didn't deserve him. She never did, and now, by refusing him, she was also punishing herself for ever leaving him.

"Livvie, please...Just listen to me." He pleaded, bringing his and up to her cheek which caused her whole body to melt. Her head leaned into his hand and she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and kiss him, but miraculously, she resisted.

"I can't. I have to go." She had to get out of here before she lost any control she had left. So, she gathered what strength she had left and stood up, but Fitz grabbed her hand before she could go anywhere and he looked up at her before letting her go.

His expression was one of defeat; crushed and devastated. He wanted to keep trying, but he knew he couldn't. He promised he wouldn't pressure or force her and he would keep it that way. He didn't want to make her unhappy or to make her feel forced into being with him. Besides, he couldn't keep chasing after her if all she did was say no. It hurt every time and he wished he could do or say something to bring her back with him, but unless she wanted to, there wasn't really anything he could do. And eventually, it would become too tiring and too painful chasing after her.


	4. One Minute

**((And here is the second part of the previous chapter! Like I said, the previous chapter was already pretty long and I kind of wanted this chapter to be on it's own, it's a little shorter, but the next chapter will be longer. I hope both of them seem in character and as for Olivia, she's just really confused and uncertain right now. She's been gone a while and hearing about his divorce really changed things, so now she has a lot to think about and consider. That's why she is acting the way she is now and I hope that doesn't bother anyone. And like Tony Goldwyn says, Fitz never wants to give up on Olivia and Fitz sees how Olivia is reacting so that comes into play, too. They know each other.**

**But here is the next chapter and again, I hope you all are enjoying it and aren't annoyed with how Fitz and Olivia are. I hope everyone is enjoying them! Oh oh! Also, if you listen to'The Light' by The Album Leaf (Olitz's theme song) while reading this chapter, your feels will be through the roof! I love that song.))**

They stared for a few seconds and Olivia could see he wanted to say something, but he was taking too long so just as she was about to move away, he spoke up.

"One minute?" He asked with a frown; his ocean blue eyes gazing up at her longingly.

Olivia took a deep breath and swallowed thickly as she debated whether to accept or not. One minute was an incredibly special nd important thing between them; a minute where they just sat with each other and thought of a future they could have together, a future they wanted to have and thinking about that would destroy her, but she didn't want to leave things like this. She wanted to leave on a good note. Well, as good a possible. She remembered their first one minute together, before they even made love to kissed or anything. They just stared and imagined what their life could be together, and then their second one minute was years later on the couch of her apartment. They just sat there, holding each other as close and as tight as possible; wishing they could be together.

"Give me one minute...One more minute to just..." He sighed, stroking the back of her hand. "Be with you. To hold you as long as possible before I have to leave tomorrow and never see you again. Please, Livvie." There was no holding back his tears anymore. A few of them fell from his eyes and it broke Olivia's heart to see this. As much as she wanted to resist, she couldn't, and a big part of her didn't want to, anyway.

"One minute." She whispered with a nod and Fitz nodded back before hesitantly letting go of her hand and sitting back on the couch, waiting for her to sit either with him or next to him or wherever she wanted to sit. Thankfully, and surprisingly, she opted to sit right next to him, against him even, just like the first time in her apartment back in D.C. Their bodies touched and it sent an electric shock through both of their bodies and Fitz wanted to wrap his arms around her, but he didn't want her to push him away. Thankfully, though, much to his pleasant surprise, she made the first move.

Olivia turned onto her side so she was facing Fitz and like the second one minute they shared, she slid her right arm across his stomach and tucked the other behind his back and rested her head on his chest. His body melted, his heart fluttered, and the tears continued.; his body was in a warm frenzy. His arms wrapped around her body; his left hand holding onto her arm and his right hand resting just above her rear. There was no space left between them at all and that's how they liked it. Being as close as possible for the sixty seconds they had. Fitz lowered his head and buried his face in her hair while tightening his arms around her as if afraid to let her go because he knew he would be losing her. Again. And this time, possibly for good. And he was afraid, more than he had ever been afraid of anything in his life. He was losing the love of his life, his Livvie, and he hated it. Without her, life felt meaningless.

Olivia felt the same way and she hated that she was being like this, but it was the right thing to do. Or was it? She wanted to be with Fitz, but she didn't feel ready and she didn't feel like she deserved to be with an amazing man like him. She needed some time to think about it, to fix herself before she could do anything. With how she was, it wasn't the right time. Maybe she would come back in a month or two or few, but she just wasn't sure about right now. She felt too horrible, too guilty and too scared. But she also knew, that at this point, he probably wouldn't wait much longer, if at all after this. She could lose him for good, and that caused her to hug him tighter.

Tears fell from her own eyes and she was thankful he couldn't see her like this. She nuzzled his chest to wipe the tears and tightened her arms around him, also afraid to let him go because they were saying goodbye and she didn't want to, but she just felt like she had to. Her gut was telling her to and she had to trust it, didn't she? Fitz held her as close and as tight as possible, his eyes still closed and his mind swirling about thoughts of their future together. A life they could have, a life he always wanted with her. He imagined them out in public, holding hands, kissing, going out to dinner, spoiling her, making her laugh, making her cry happy tears and just making her happy. He imagined them at home, cooking together, cuddling on the couch, going to sleep and waking up together and making love almost every night. He imagined them at work, either at the White House discussing foreign and domestic politics, working as the power couple they were, or maybe at OPA working together on a case. Every scenario had her in it; she was his life. It had them. He held her tighter at the thought of none of that happening.

Why couldn't they just be happy? Why couldn't they just be together like they always wanted to be? He wanted to ask her those questions, he wanted to do whatever was possible to bring her back with him, but at the same time, he felt like nothing would work. She seemed to have her mind made up. Or did she? Maybe she just needed more convincing, but right now, he didn't see a way. He didn't want to make her angry or push her further away from him.

Suddenly, he felt her body pull away from his and he immediately went cold and dead inside. Their minute was up. Olivia wiped her eyes while looking away from him and stood up, straightening her purple shirt and brushing off the black slacks she wore. Fitz cleared his throat and stood up with her, the loose tears falling from his eyes. They faced each other, inches of space separating them and looking into each other's eyes.

___Kiss me._Olivia mentally pleaded, her brown hues staring deeply into his. She wanted him to kiss her, she wanted him to keep trying to convince her, but he was probably tired. That's all he ever did. He tried and tried, he chased and chased, but she kept running away, she kept turning away, so maybe he was tired of trying only to fail because of her. Maybe he thought there was nothing more he could do and she knew it was unfair to want him to keep trying.

"Maybe I'll come back later. I just need more time." She whispered and Fitz nodded, his eyes still red and watery and it broke Olivia's heart to see that. More so because she was the one causing it. He only nodded in response, unable to say anything to her, and she moved her hands up to wipe the tears from his eyes in which he leaned his head into her hands for the short moment he had before she turned from him and headed for the door. The further she got, the more hesitant she became and the slower she went; her body also becoming cold due to the distance from him. She didn't want to leave and she was becoming more sure of that. She wanted to stay the night with him, to have one more night with him before they separated for who knows how long once again. But it would only make it even harder to leave in the morning if she stayed the night with him because they would no doubt make love.

The thought of his hands on her, his lips all over her skin and his body on top of hers caused her heart and stomach to clench and warmth to pool between her legs. Fitz made her feel like no one else ever could and ever did. The way he made her feel was sensational, it was perfect and beyond anything she ever felt in her life and only Fitz could make her feel so good. So perfect. Her resolve to leave was fading the closer she got to the door and that showed in how much she slowed down. Her body ached with pain and regret the further she got from him and once at the door, she stopped. Her hand touching the doorknob, but she made no move to leave. She wanted to turn around and throw her arms around him, she wanted to kiss him, and have him take her into his arms and into the bedroom. Just anywhere she could be with him.

Fitz watched her curiously, wondering what she was doing. Was she rethinking leaving? Was she changing her mind?___Turn around and come back to me, Livvie. _He prayed mentally, wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms and never let her go. He wanted to show her how much he loved her, and how even after she left, that didn't change. He wanted to show that to her, he wanted to be with her and show her that that never changed either. The thought of touching her and her touching him, the thought of his body hovering over hers, being with her in the most intimate way possible while vocalizing his love for her made him want to rush over to her. He was tempted to do it, tempted to keep her from leaving and he wondered if maybe, just maybe, she wanted him to do that. Because she wasn't leaving. She was at the door, but she wasn't making a move to leave.


	5. Chapter 5

**((Back with an update! Had to work this weekend so it took a little longer to get this one done and we like to have another chapter finished before uploading the next one, but here is chapter 4! This is my first time writing a sex/love making scene in a fanfiction/story, so I hope I did okay! I hope it wasn't boring or anything and that you all enjoy it and this chapter! Thank you so much for all the reviews and just know we appreciate them and all of you! :) ))**

Another few seconds had passed and Olivia still hadn't left, so Fitz decided to make his move. He walked up to her, slowly and cautiously, and soon he was right behind her. Their bodies were only an inch apart and Olivia could feel Fitz's body heat radiating off of him and it was starting to drive her crazy. Her heart was beating insanely fast in her chest, feeling as if it were going to jump out at any second, her nerves were on the rise, and her breathing was picking up speed and becoming shaky, too. She swallowed thickly, her hand that was gripping the door knob was trembling because of how nervous, flustered, hot and bothered she was feeling right now and that was thanks to him. How close he was, how she could almost feel his body against hers, and because of the temptation to turn around and kiss rising incredibly fast.

Slowly and hesitantly, Fitz lifted his hands and brought them to her waist in the softest and gentlest touch possible, but it was enough to make her flinch. Her desire for him, her hunger, her thirst, her love for him, all of it was increasing in this very moment and when he touched her, it shot up ten fold. How could he have this strong of an affect on her? His touch always did things to her and it certainly was right now. The way his hands touched her waist sent an electric shock through her body and she felt her body leaning slow back into his. Then he started applying pressure to her waist and his hands slid further around her middle, bringing her body back towards his until they touched and soon enough, she could feel his hot breath on her skin and that caused her body to heat up; including between her legs. Her skin was on fire, the warmth and wetness between her thighs was increasing and so was the desire and urge to turn around and kiss this man; to have him like she wanted to so badly.

"Livvie," He whispered, his hot breath hitting the back of her neck which caused goosebumps to rise all over her body while her eyes closed and shivered. How could this man have such a powerful effect on her? It was unbelievable at times and sometimes she hated it, but for the most part, she loved it. How with just a simple touch, a simple kiss or a simple use of his voice, could make her melt into a muddle, or make her heart soar.

_Turn me around, Fitz. _Olivia pleaded in her mind. She couldn't take it anymore. She wanted him to turn her around and kiss her, she /needed/ him to. She needed to look at him, she needed to feel his lips on hers and his body against hers. _Please. _She let out a heavy breath and her body trembled when his hands tightened on her waist and he began to turn her around as if he read her mind. She let go of the doorknob and turned around, but her eyes remained closed.

"Look at me," He whispered huskily, lovingly, as his face inched closer to hers and she could now feel his breath on her lips. "Look at me," He half demanded, half pleaded again; the tips of their noses touching as his hands pulled her against his body before sliding one hand up her side, over her shoulder and to her neck.

She held her breath and opened her eyes; the sight before her caused her to melt into his arms. She was met with piercing ocean blue eyes that were the most beautiful to her; like they were staring into her soul with such a determined, intense and loving gaze. Her breath was coming out in ragged pants because of everything going on, because of their closeness, their breath mingling, their bodies touching, and his husky, baritone voice that could arouse her and relax her, depending on the mood, and right now, it was certainly arousing her. God, he was incredible. He was perfect.

Closer and closer their lips became and his eyes flickered down to her lips and then up to her eyes as if asking for permission to kiss her, but seeing as she didn't pull back or push him away, or even shake her head no, he felt like she wanted him to kiss her. So he did. He leaned in as they continued to stare into one another's eyes and finally their lips touched. A fire erupted within her body at the soft, but sensual touch of their lips and her hands came up to grip his sides; pulling him as close as possible and he did the same; their chests and hips now touching. His own body shuddered against hers at the sensational contact that they had gone without for six months. How in the hell did they survive without this?

The kiss was powerful, exceptional, and Earth shattering and it was only their lips. The feeling of their lips on each others' was enough to send their bodies into a frenzy and a moment later, the kissed erupted into one of deep passion and lust. Olivia pressed her lips harder into his and before they knew it, their mouths were opening and their tongues were connecting. Her arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly against her as he pushed her back into the door enough to press his body into hers where she could feel his erection pressing against her thigh. Their tongues danced passionately, caressing lovingly and swirling together while pushing and battling for dominance. Their eyes were closed at this point and the kissing continued for what felt like hours because of how amazing it was.

His hands started to wander around her body; sliding down her side, moving to her stomach and up her chest where he slid them over her breasts which caused her to moan into his mouth. His erection grew because of that beautiful sound and he grinded into her with a deep growl. A heavy gasp fell from her lips at the friction that caused and she let her own hands slide down his back to grope his rear before running up his back again and into his hair that she missed running her fingers through. It was still so soft and smooth, just like she loved. Her fingers moved through his curls, gripping and pulling gently as his erection massaged her center which was becoming wetter with each moment. Only he could make her so wet, so fast and only she could make him so hard, so fast.

He let out a low growl into her mouth when she moved her hands into his hair which was a major weak spot for him. In moments like these it brought him immense pleasure, and in other moments, it relaxed him greatly and managed to de-stress him on his most horrible days. Unable to wait any longer, Fitz moved his hands to her perfectly shaped ass and gave it a soft grope which caused her to gasp into his mouth again; her tongue coming to a halt and her hips bucking against his. He smirked deviously, squeezing her lower cheeks harder before he suddenly hoisted her up into the air and settled her against his waist where she felt his rock hard erection press even harder against her center. The contact was driving her crazy and they weren't even naked yet. Her legs wrapped around him immediately, as did her arms around his neck to hold on, but he always had a tight, secure hold on her. Fitz never let her go; he would never let her fall and she knew that. She always felt safe and secure in his arms and to be quite honest, it was her favorite place to be.

He held her against the door for a few more seconds, their lips coming apart and their breath mingling in heavy pants as they just stared at each other for the longest time. Then he leaned his head down and brushed his lips against the skin of her neck which he knew was a major weak spot for her; a major pleasure point. His lips kissed her warm skin, starting out as a gentle and closed mouthed kiss, and then he moved about an inch downwards and opened his lips to give her a wet kiss this time. Her head fell back against the door and she let out a loud moan of pleasure, her hips grinding hard into his and her fingers tangling in his curls once again. He loved hearing her moan, he loved hearing her in pleasure and he loved that he could make her feel so good. Unable to resist, Fitz let his teeth clamp down on her skin and he sucked on it for a good few moments before letting go and running his tongue over the newly formed mark which he was greatly satisfied with. He didn't care that people would be able to see this mark on her neck that would be rather difficult to hide unless she wore a shirt big enough, but even then, it could probably only be halfway hidden and he didn't care. He was a single man now so he had the right to mark Olivia without being worried that people would see it and speculate about it, and as of right now, she didn't care either.

Truth be told, she absolutely loved it when he marked her because it made her feel claimed. It made her feel like she really was his and that he didn't want her to be anyone else's except for his and he loved him being that protective and possessive over her. At times, she did find it annoying, but other times she found it hot and arousing, even sweet, and right now was one of those times. He moved his lips to the other side of her neck and started placing a trail of wet kisses down her skin; using his tongue more and more which was drenching her clit even more. His cock was extremely hard thanks to her moans and grinding and he wouldn't be able to go much longer being restrained like this. So, he tightened his hold on her and pulled away from the door with her in his arms, before turning around and navigating his way through the living room and towards the Presidential suite bedroom. His lips trailed down to her shoulder, then back up to her neck, along her jaw and to her lips where they remained the whole trip to his room. Their lips crashed together again, as if gravity kept pulling them back together or as if they were magnets unable to resist the strong pull.

He walked inside the spacious, red-carpeted room and carried her over to the queen sized bed which made him grin against her lips before he broke the kiss which confused her. Why was he grinning at her like that? "What?" She asked with a soft smile, her cheeks heating up at the way he stared at her.

"This bed is a queen size," He commented and she quirked a brow, still not understanding what he was getting at. "I'm going to treat you like a queen, Livvie. Like you deserve to be treated." He added and Olivia playfully rolled her eyes with a soft laugh and his cheesy words before she kissed him again. He laughed softly against her lips before he bent down to lay her gently on the mattress; always careful with her. His hands moved from her rear and her legs unwrapped from around his waist, but her arms remained around his neck to pull him down with her in which he happily obliged. She refused to lose contact with him. His body came down over hers, hovering over her while kissing her as passionately as possible. Their tongues continued to caress and swirl and their hips continued to grind together. He could feel her wetness through the fabric of her pants and she could easily feel how big and hard his cock was and she was aching for it to be inside of her.

He was currently positioned between her legs, allowing his cock to rub against her womanhood with heavy pressure and it was driving both of them insane. They were craving bare contact, full and true contact, and Fitz would make sure they had that very soon. Olivia's hands massaged his perfectly muscled chest and he groaned at how good that felt while allowing his own hands to slide down her sides and to the waist line of her slacks where he started to unbutton and unzip them. Once that was done, he pushed his hands upwards and under her shirt, pushing it up in the process and revealing her beautiful dark skin to him which he ached to touch. Her fingers began to undo the buttons of his shirt starting at the top and slowly making her way down; revealing that muscle shirt he was wearing under it and she mentally cursed him for wearing another layer that prevented her from seeing and touching his skin.

His shirt fell completely open while her shirt was sitting above her covered breasts and with a wide grin, he sat back on his legs and pulled her onto his lap which caused her to gasp at the contact between her legs. She was now sitting on his cock and she couldn't help but grind hard against it a few times while he shrugged the dark blue shirt off of his shoulders. Right after he did that, he pulled her shirt off of her body and took a few minutes to take her in. Her beautiful, dark-colored, soft skin that he ached to feel against his own was now in his view and he felt his cock twitch at the sight. His hands came down onto her shoulders before moving over her breasts, squeezing them gently and running his thumbs over her hardened nipples that were poking against her black bra. She moaned quietly at the pleasure that caused her, closing her eyes, but only for a moment before she took him in as well.

His body was still so perfect. Amazingly muscled and fit which always impressed Olivia, especially with his age which always made her scoff when she heard how old he was. How could a man of his age look like he did? Her hands ran down his biceps and he flexed them on purpose just to tease her which made her giggle lightly before moving her hands to his muscled torso; caressing every inch of him. He sat there, still and silent, while she did what she wanted to do and he felt his erection grow when her hands went lower and lower, almost touching him, but instead she gripped the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up his body and over his head; tossing it aside. His hands immediately went to her bare back, bringing her body against his and moaning at the bare skin to skin contact that both of them had been waiting for. It felt incredible; words couldn't describe what they were feeling. Their bodies stayed pressed together for at least two minutes while she continued to grind against his cock, causing him both pleasure and pain. As soon as his pants came off, all he would feel was pleasure.

"Liv..." He whispered pleadingly, bucking up against her which caused her to gasp loudly before suddenly reaching down to grip his hard erection in her hands. His body tensed up when she did that and his head fell back with a loud moan, which turned into a heavy breath of relief when she undid his button and zipper; bringing him a lot of relief. His fingers danced up her spine and to the clasp of her bra where he made it come undone while dipping his head down into the valley of her breasts where he started to kiss her hot skin ever so sensually. His wet lips and tongue kissing and licking every inch of her and once he pulled the bra off of her chest, his lips wrapped around her left nipple and that made her grab onto his shoulders with a heavy moan due to the immense pleasure that sent through her body. Her hips grinded even harder into his and he met her every grind with one of his own while mumbling, 'You're so beautiful' against her skin as he moved to give attention to the right nipple this time.

He loved tasting her like this; he loved tasting her skin, but he wanted more. He wanted to /really/ taste her and he decided that that was his next mission. He laid her back onto the bed and started to kiss his way down her chest, kissing each nipple again, and then continuing his descent down her body. She knew what was coming, and it was only making her more wet at the thought and anticipation at it. One hand slipped inside of her pants and underwear, finding that sweet, wet center he ached to see, touch and taste. She gasped again, moaning his name, and bucked against his hand as his fingers stroked her very wet center, teasing her entrance while his other hand tugged the fabric down her legs. His tongue slithered over her belly button, down her waist and stopped just above her clit which was drenched at this point.

"You're so ready for me, Livvie...Aren't you?" He asked, looking up at her as his fingers stroked her warm and wet bundle of nerves which was causing her to wither in pleasure on the bed; becoming very impatient.

"Yes, Fitz...I...Oh, God...touch me more!" She pleaded as she moved against his fingers, loving how they felt on her body. God, she missed this so much. She missed having Fitz touch her like this and she wondered how she went so long without it. Without /him/.

His mouth sensually kissed her wet lips and his finger stroked her entrance teasingly before he slid it inside without a warning and her body flinched multiple times as a result. Her hands clenched the covers underneath her and she moved her hips up and down against his finger to feel more of him inside of her. He grinned seductively at what this was doing to her and he started to twist his finger around inside of her, bending it and stroking her inner walls for a few moments before he started to move it in and out of her wet depths.

"Fitz...Fuck..." She cursed, moaning and groaning at the pleasure.

"I love it when you cuss, Liv...But I love it more when you say my name." He chuckled darkly, sliding in a second finger before adding his tongue to the action. He slowly licked her bundle of nerves which really made her whimper and struggle. He started with slow and soft licks before he began to get more rough with her. He licked and sucked on her pussy while his fingers plunged in and out of her at a rough pace and her body was violently riding his fingers and mouth.

"Oh my God, Fitz! Don't stop!" Olivia begged him, moving her hands from the bed to his hair where she tangled her fingers in his curls once again and started to grip and pull hard. He became more aroused when she did that and he started going at her even harder and faster now. He pulled his fingers out of her and let his tongue enter her wet entrance while his wet fingers, covered in her juices, massaged the top of her clit at a brutal pace.

God, he missed this. Fitz missed tasting her, he missed going down on her and making her scream and spasm in pleasure. She had the most beautiful and melodic moans that he never got tired of hearing and she had the sweetest taste that he would never tire of tasting.

"Mm, fuck, Livvie. You taste so good," He complimented, using his tongue to spell out 'Sweet Baby' which was absolutely driving her mad. She wasn't going to last much longer. "So good, so sweet..." He whispered, his hot and heavy breath on her pussy bringing her more pleasure. "My Sweet Baby," He added, hungrily and lustfully going at her wet pussy while she moved her hips up and down against his mouth, riding it as much as she could while still pulling on his hair which pushed his face harder against her clit.

The way she was trembling, the way she was screaming, Fitz knew he was close and he wanted to push her over the edge. He wanted her to have one orgasm now, and then another one when he was really inside of her so he went at her harder and faster than before. His lips, tongue and fingers ravaging her fiercely until her body finally gave in and convulsed.

"Fitz! Oh God!" She screamed out his name as she arched her back when her climax hit; her hot, wet juices emptying out of her and into his mouth which he immediately lapped up with a deep, approving growl. She rode out her orgasm, still moving her hips against his mouth, but slower this time as her body trembled and as she struggled to catch her breath.

She was seeing stars right now. She felt like she was in heaven with how Fitz was making her feel and she was damn sure no one else made her feel as such. He knew how to make her scream, how to make her feel good, how to make her feel special and perfect; no one else did. No one else could make Olivia feel the way Fitz did and she was absolutely sure about that, yet at the same time it made her feel guilty. She didn't deserve him. But at this moment, that was far from her mind.

Fitz began to kiss his way back up her body, sensual and loving kisses, which left a wet trail all the way up to her jaw and finally on her lips where she could taste herself on him. His tongue moving around inside of her mouth before tangling with hers. His clothed cock was rubbing against her again and she was already extremely aroused. She knew they weren't done, and she didn't want to be done. Not until Fitz was also satisfied. She wanted this to last as long as possible.

He pushed up from her body, standing on his knees and staring down at her. She reached up to run her hands up and down his stomach while his hands did the same to her legs much like the moment they first made love in the hotel years ago. They smiled at each other, sharing a very intimate quiet moment until her hands gripped the waist line of his jeans and she started to tug them down. He stayed still, letting her do so and becoming more aroused as he watched her. His jeans fell to his knees, the outline of his cock in view because of how hard it was pressing against his boxers. The tip was poking out just barely and it was incredibly purple at this point. Olivia swallowed hard and her breath hitched in her throat when she ran her fingers over the tip, causing it to twitch and Fitz to moan. She ran her palm against it a few times before pushing his boxers down to his knees and that made his cock stand at attention; ready and waiting for her.

The veins were visible thanks to how erect he was and he was also throbbing powerfully which she could feel against her hand and she found that sexy as hell. Her fingers wrapped around his shaft and she started to stroke him very slowly which caused his eyes to fall closed and his head to fall back; moving his hips back and forth into her hand. Pre-cum dribbled from the tip of his cock and she used that to make his cock wet and smooth, coating his shaft in his own juices and licking her lips at the sight of this. Their eyes connected again and that always made moments like this more intimate.

With a smile, he leaned back down towards her and kicked his clothes off of his legs; finally naked with her. Their naked bodies were now touching in almost every way, and soon, they would be completely connected in the most intimate way possible. His lips found hers again, crashing hungrily and lustfully as her hand continued to stroke his hardened cock. He was so big, so hard, and he was pulsating like crazy in her hand, but she wanted to feel that inside of her. He returned the favor by stroking her clit with two fingers, rubbing her own wetness all over her like she did with him.

"Fitz, please..." Olivia quietly pleaded and he kissed his way over to her ear; a low, sexual growl falling from his lips.

"What, Livvie? What do you want?" He asked, kissing her ear before running his tongue underneath it; still massaging her while thrusting himself against her hand. He really couldn't wait any longer. He was going to explode in her hand if he didn't hurry and bury himself inside of her.

"I want you inside me. Oh, fuck...I want you, Fitz!" Olivia shouted out when his thumb pressed against her bundle of nerves and he held it there which caused her body to tremble violently as if she were about to come again, but he immediately moved his hand away from her center and pulled his cock from her hand before pushing himself inside of her.

They moaned loudly together, in sync, at the intimate contact and her head fell back with her eyes closed. He stayed still, shaking his head and forcing himself to talk even though moans kept falling from him.

"Look at me, Olivia..." Fitz quietly demanded, his cock throbbing inside of her. "I want to look into your eyes as this happens." He added, his lips lovingly kissing hers right before she lifted her head back up and opened her eyes to look into his. He smiled at her and she returned it before he started to push himself deeper and deeper inside of her; stretching her inner walls. "I want to look into your eyes as I make love to you." He whispered sweetly and seductively, her inner walls gripping him as he filled her up.

"That feels so good...You feel so good." Olivia moaned out as she gazed lovingly into his eyes, his cock now fully buried inside of her.

"/You/ feel good, Livvie. You feel perfect." He smiled, stilling himself inside of her so she could adjust to his size which she had to get used to after six months, or even more, without making love to him. Her walls would loosen up, then clamp down, then loosen again and then clamp down again which was driving him crazy with pleasure and he loved it. The feel of himself pulsating inside of her while her walls gripped onto him was indescribable and it pushed him towards his climax, but he wasn't nearly finished with her yet.

After another minute or so passed, Fitz pulled his cock half way out and then slammed back inside of her which made her to scream in pleasure and drop her head back again. "Fuck, Liv." Fitz cursed, starting out slow and soft with his thrusts, but as the moments went by, he picked up the pace and became rougher.

His cock plunged in and out of her, massaging her walls with every movement and making Olivia moan every single time. She would thrust her hips to meet with his thrusts while their chests rubbed together due to them practically clinging to each other. Her nipples rubbed roughly against his chest and that pleasure spurred him on even more. He couldn't get enough with her; every single movement, every single word and moan she said made him thrust harder and faster. They wanted to touch in every single way; they wanted to be connected in every way possible. Physically and emotionally and at this moment, they were.

"I...I'm close." She warned him with a heavy breath, moans and whimpers of ecstasy continuing to fall from her lips in that melodic voice he loved so much.

"Cum, Livvie. Let go, I want to feel you." He whispered against her lips before dropping his face into the crook of her neck as his own low, husky moans escaped his mouth. Olivia nuzzled his hair, her nails moving up and down his back which left burning red marks, but it only spurred him on even more; slamming his hard cock into her stretched, wet pussy. His thrusts became rougher, pounding into her at a powerful pace and force which made the bed rock and their bodies move roughly.

"Harder, Fitz! Oh God, harder!" Olivia pleaded with him and he did as she asked. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him completely against her body while his own arms wrapped around her, as well, also holding her as tightly and as closely as possible as he pounded into her mercilessly.

"Let go, Livvie! Cum with me, baby...My Sweet Baby!" He growled into her neck, his cock roughly sliding in and out of her; massaging every inch of her walls and even hitting the sweet spot that was hidden so deeply inside of her that only he could ever reach. "Fuck, Olivia...I love you!" Fitz shouted out loud for all the world to hear, even though only Olivia heard it, but he wanted the whole world to know it.

And that was enough to send her over the edge. Those three words sent a powerful wave of pleasure through her body and it shook violently as she came hard and he came with her. He screamed her name as she screamed his and he emptied his hot seed inside of her; thrusting slowly to get every thing he had out of him and inside of her. And it felt so good. It felt so good to be inside of her like this, to release his hot cu, inside of her and she felt the exact same way. He filled her up perfectly; as if they were made for each other in every way possible because they fit so perfectly together. Their hands, their chest, their lips...everything.

Both of them were panting heavily, sweat covering their bodies, and his thrusts soon came to a stop. He lifted his head and gazed down into her eyes, both of their bodies trembling with pleasure and exhaustion, but neither loosened their hold on the other. He smiled sweetly and lovingly down at her before lowering his lips down onto hers to kiss her. It was a sweet, gentle kiss with no tongue being used; only their swollen lips. They breathed against the other's lips, breathing the other in and keeping their arms as tight around each other as possible. They didn't want to move, they didn't want to lose the intimate connection or cause any space to come between them, but it happened when he pulled out.

They both moaned at the pleasure it gave them when he pulled his softening out, but as soon as he was out, they returned to their original position; their arms tightly around each other with half of his body on hers and their lips together. They stayed like that for a while before he moved his head down onto her chest, resting it there and closing his eyes; listening to the sound of her erratic heartbeat. Olivia's fingers brushed through his hair, a wide smile on her face as her own eyes closed while feeling in complete ecstasy.

This was amazing. Beyond amazing and she really didn't know how to describe it! She truly loved this and she didn't want this moment to end. She didn't want this night to end, but she knew it would. What would happen after this? Would she go back? Before this, her mind was made up to stay, but now she was re-thinking staying here. She loved him. She loved him more than anything and she wanted to be with him like this every day, but she still felt like she couldn't, like she didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve him and also because of her fear. Her eyes watered as she practically clung to him, afraid to let him go, afraid for tomorrow to come because she didn't know what her answer would be, so she tried to just focus on the now. The fact that he was here with her, in her arms, after the two made love yet again.

His breathing evened out and he placeda gentle kiss on her chest, over her heart before laying his head back down on top of it; the sound of her beating heart slowing down playing in his ear and he found comfort in that. It helped him relax and he found himself drifting off to sleep with Olivia doing the exact same. They were so comfortable, so content and spent and so...complete being here in each other's arms and Fitz hoped that when they woke up, she would still be here. The thought of her being gone made his arms tighten around her and Olivia knew what that meant and she did the same. Fitz didn't want her to leave and he was dreading the following morning because he was very scared that when he woke up, she wouldn't be here, but he so hoped that she would. That when he woke up, she would still be in his arms where he wanted her to always be.

Moments later, they both drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep. A sleep they hadn't gotten in six months, perhaps even longer than that. A sleep they didn't have, that they weren't able to have, without each other.


	6. Chapter 6

**((Time for the next chapter! A lot of you will probably hate this one and be angry and I'm sorry ahead of time, but this is important! I feel this would happen in the show and we all know that Olivia needs a good reading, you know? Especially from Fitz since he's always to blame, but anyway, here is the next chapter! It'll get better later, don't worry! Or will it? Kidding! Just stick around, please! Don't let this chapter turn you away! We love you all and we love all of the reviews! Feel free to leave more and we hope you enjoy this chapter!))**

"You're leaving..." Came his husky, tired voice which was laced with sleep and now filled with sadness and hurt. "You're still leaving..." He sighed heavily, slowly sitting up in bed which caused the sheet to fall from his body; revealing that muscular chest of his.

Olivia sighed as she finished sliding on her shoes and patting the wrinkles out of her shirt before she turned to him with sadness in her own eyes. She didn't say anything, she didn't know /what/ to say because anything she would say would only make him hurt worse or make him angry. Besides, she didn't have to say anything, Fitz already knew.

After last night, the two had fell into a much needed, deep and peaceful sleep and they remained touching all through the night and into the morning. It started with Fitz's head on her chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her and her arms around him while he listened to the relaxing sound of her heartbeat. Then it changed to Olivia on her side with her back against his chest and his arms still wrapped tightly around around her, then changed to her head on his chest and their arms still around one another and finally, in the morning, they were facing each other and their hands were intertwined, as were their legs. Not a minute went by where they weren't touching. It was as if their bodies were subconsciously connected; always trying to touch in some way because that's how they were most comfortable and most peaceful. He hadn't slept like that in months and neither had Olivia.

"Fitz," Olivia began and Fitz shook his head with a humorless chuckle, pushing the sheet away from him.

"No, forget it, Liv. Don't bother explaining." He said, his voice becoming more angry and that made Olivia frown, but she expected this. He stood up from the bed, completely naked and that caused her eyes to lock onto his for a short moment before moving them slowly down his body, taking in every part of him before moving them back up. Once they landed on his blue eyes again, her cheeks became heated because she knew he caught her, only this time, he didn't smile or grin. He didn't tease her about checking him out or about the affect he had on her; he was too angry and all he did was glare in silence. That made her body go cold and it made her heart break.

"I told you that I need -" She tried again, but he cut her off once more.

"I know what you told me, Olivia! I got it. I understand and you don't need to tell me again. To be honest, I'm sick of hearing it." He said as he angrily grabbed his underwear from the floor and pulled it up his legs.

"You understand? Really? Because it doesn't seem like you do!" Olivia said, starting to raise her voice just like he did.

At her words, Fitz let out a low scoff and stopped his movements before turning to her and giving her a cold, hard glare. It shot a chill down her spine because he never looked at her like that. There was maybe one or two times, and it always killed her. Most of the time he looked at her with love, admiration and passion, but right now, it was the opposite.

"You know what? You're right." He agreed and that caused her to furrow her brows in confusion. "Maybe I don't understand. Actually, no, I /don't/ understand." He confirmed and Olivia knew there had to be a deeper meaning to his words. She wanted to ask, but at the same time, she was afraid. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what he meant by those words; what he didn't understand.

"Then you don't understand me." She added and Fitz let out another angry chuckle while shaking his head. He couldn't believe this.

"Obviously, I don't!" He yelled and Olivia looked up at him with slightly widened eyes. "I don't understand you, Olivia. I thought I did. I don't -" He took a deep breath and he felt his eyes starting to water because of how angry, hurt and confused he was. "I don't understand how you won't even try to let yourself be happy, but you have no problem with letting yourself be miserable!" He shouted and she was taken aback by that. Her jaw fell open for a short, trying to think of a response, and it took her a minute or two before she could reply.

"I am /not/ letting myself be miserable! I am trying to fix myself, I am trying to be happy, Fitz. I am trying -" She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm but that was proving to be difficult.

"No, Olivia, you're not. You're letting yourself be miserable because you're too afraid to try to be happy. Being here doesn't make you happy, running away didn't make you happy and we both know it." He stated, completely sure about his words. "You want to act like it helped you, or like it is helping you, but it isn't, and don't bother trying to lie to me because it isn't working. I know you, Liv, and that isn't any different right now." He added and Olivia just stared at him. "The moment I got here, I saw the way you reacted. You were shocked, but you were also happy, and even though you didn't smile, I saw it in your eyes. You /wanted/ to see me, you've been wanting to see me and you /missed/ me, but because of how stubborn you are, because of that pride you seem to care so much about and how badly you want to believe your lies, you won't admit it." He probably sounded harsh, but he knew he was right. Fitz knew Olivia and he could read her expressions quite easily so the way she lit up when she saw him at her door wasn't lost on him. Sometimes in order to get through to her, in order to help her see the truth or her mistakes, or to help her help herself, this is what happened to happen.

Olivia didn't know what to say. She was racking her brain trying to think of a response, but deep down, she knew he was right. But she didn't want to admit that. She hated being wrong and she hated admitting to her mistakes and being wrong; especially when it came to something about her. "It /is/ helping me! You just can't accept that, Fitz. You just can't accept that I may be doing better out here than I was in D.C. That I'm doing better out here, than I was with you in Washington!" Those words pierced Fitz's heart and she saw that in his eyes. She immediately cursed herself for saying that and she wanted to take it back, but she knew that was too late.

Fitz clenched his fists, angry that she actually said that. Did she actually mean that? "Is that why you lit up when you saw me?" He asked sarcastically, the veins on his head starting to show due to his anger and a forming headache. "Is that why you called me to apologize for Jake and to assure me you two weren't together? Is that why you agreed to meet with me? Is that why you made love to me, Liv? Because you /didn't/ miss me? Because you're actually doing better without me? Because you're actually happier?" He asked, sarcasm oozing out with his words while taking a couple of steps closer. He didn't buy it. She could lie and lie and lie, but he saw right through them. "I'm not stupid, Olivia. You can lie all you want, but we both know the truth, and that's that you miss me. You were happy I came down here and you want to go back, but you're just afraid to and I wish you weren't afraid. I just wish you would give it, /us/ a chance now that we have that opportunity. Give your self a damn chance to really be happy for once!"

Olivia hated this. She hated that he was reading her so easily; that he knew what she was feeling and thinking and he was right. She did miss him, more than anything, and she wasn't really doing better without him, but she didn't know if she would do any better if she were back in D.C. with him, still. Maybe she would do better, but she didn't know if she was ready to take that leap. What was wrong with her?

"We aren't making any progress, Fitz." She stated, frowning. "All we did was go in circles! Around and around and around. Back to where we were; back to /nothing/! You talked about getting a divorce and it never happened, we planned things together and they never happened." She said, her voice becoming sad. "Promises and words were never kept; words only proved to be nothing."

While her voice was becoming sadder, Fitz's voice became angrier. Did she really just put that blame on him? Again? "And that's /my/ fault?" He asked. "I tried to make progress with you, Liv! I tried to divorce Mellie more than once, but you were always there to make sure that didn't happen despite wanting to be with me! You wanted to be with me, but you never put in the effort like I did. You would plot with Mellie and with Cyrus behind my back and then everything you and I said to each other, everything we wanted to do, couldn't happen because /you/ turned your back on me. I tried to keep my words, but you walked out on me so I never had the chance." The hurt showed in his eyes and voice and it was becoming worse, as was her guilt. "The night we went to see the Constitution, you said we were in this together, and then you resign. You left me. Then after Amanda Tanner, you said you would say it was you on that tape and then I would resign, divorce and be with you, but you plotted with Mellie behind my back and then left me." He stepped closer to her, anger blazing in his eyes. "Then I let you go because you kept demanding that I do so, so I had no choice. I let you go, but then I got shot, and you come back back into my life, ready to be with me, and I'm ready to be with you, but this time I was the one who turned my back because of Defiance and I still hate myself for that, for the way I treated you, but that was the /only/ time I turned you away. Which I regret doing with every fiber of my being" The guilt of how he treated her after finding out about Defiance still lived within him, but he had just felt so hurt and felt so betrayed; he trusted her and she had lied to him all these years. His Presidency turned out to be a lie.

"Then you demand that I earn you, so I tried and I did. I apologized over and over and then I allowed Mellie to go on TV and air my affair. I sat with you until that clock ran down because all that mattered, was /you/. Not the fact that my Presidency and legacy could be over, but /you/. Choosing you, earning you, being with you! Because I wanted to prove to you that I would choose you over my Presidency and I did, but then you convince me to run again and after we developed a plan, a /good/ plan for us, you once again, leave me." He added, taking a deep breath and pausing for a moment.

Olivia became more sad and guilt ridden as he told her all of this, but she knew he wasn't done. He had more to say and she tried to prepare herself for it, but her heart was only breaking more and the urge to cry was becoming stronger.

"And then I take you to Vermont, a place we've always talked about, and I show you, once again, how much I really love you and how I really do want a future with you and how I was ready to make that happen numerous times. I had that house built for us, for our future, and we made love that night, you wanted the same thing, but then later you mention resigning because of the rumors starting up again. We break up then we got back together and you mention just...being here; to stop pretending and then you /kissed/ me. You chose me at that moment, but now..." He swallowed hard, his eyes wet. "You leave on a plane with another man, without a word to me! You left me for the hundredth time Olivia so tell me, whose fault is it!? Because it isn't mine!"

Olivia looked up at him, completely speechless at everything he told her, but he did have a point. With all of it.

"I have tried and tried to divorce and be with you, which is also on me for not going through with it, but I have proven over and over that I love and would choose you, I've always chosen you, yet you always turned your back on me and you always ran. I was there, I was ready, I am always ready, Liv...why can't you be?" He stepped closer and Olivia felt glued to the spot she was standing in. "And do /not/ tell me what you did was for my Presidency because I am sick of hearing that, too. You were just afraid to take a chance, to take a risk and love me, to be with me like I wanted to be with you; to actually try and be happy and love and be loved."

"It was for your Presidency and your own sake!" She shot back angrily, finally finding her words. "A divorce would have destroyed your Presidency, Fitz, it would have destroyed /you/, and being with your mistress would have shattered it along with your reputation and legacy! I did all of those things for you!" She shouted. "I believed in you, I saw you as an incredible man and President and I didn't want you to give up on all of that just for me! Just for the mistress that almost ruined your Presidency. You earned being President and I didn't want that taken away from you!" She added, her voice still loud.

"Enough with calling yourself a mistress! I am so sick of hearing that, Olivia! You are the love of my life, not a mistress, so enough!" He yelled again, refusing to call or see her as a mistress and he wouldn't hesitate to tell anyone else off that called her as such. "And no, you did those things because you were afraid!You cared about my Presidency, but you never thought about how I felt or what I wanted because you always thought it was all about the Presidency for me. Like it was what I truly wanted! But it wasn't! It was all about you; I wasn't worried about my reputation and legacy so long as I had you because that's all that really mattered to me. If I had you, that's all that mattered in the end." He added and Olivia looked down. This was breaking her, but she couldn't show it. She tried not to, but Fitz being Fitz, he could probably see it. "Anytime there was an obstacle or challenge presented in front of us, you would run away instead of trying to fight it together, and when we developed a plan to fight it, you still ran. Why can't you just take a leap of faith with me? Why can't you just let yourself be happy?" He asked, his heart breaking because he just didn't understand this. He didn't understand her anymore and he hated it. She deserved to be loved and to be happy and he wanted nothing more than to give that to her.

Olivia looked away from him; again thinking his words over and over in her head which stung each time she repeated them. He was right on so many levels but she hated admitting that so she wouldn't. She was afraid to take that risk, to take that leap of faith and be with him because she felt like she didn't deserve him and she was afraid of all of the possible consequences and repercussions that could if they really did get together; not to mention another possible break up and she couldn't handle that.

"If you divorced and we got together, so many bad things could have come from it Fitz and -"

"And we could have dealt with them. /Together/. You're always talking about there being another way and how you don't give up, how there is always a way to fix and handle things, but you never gave that a chance with us." He sighed, stepping away from her and she immediately felt cold and broken again. "Whatever happened, we would have dealt with it together and I just wish you would give that a chance. Given /us/ a real chance and give yourself a chance to be happy, to work together and to be together." He shook his head, looking down at her. "Because despite the situation we were in, with me being married and the President, which I know was difficult for you, and me too, but despite all of that, all of the difficulties and pain, one thing we both can admit to," He paused, his eyes softening. "Was that we were happy." His voice became softer, but it was still stern and he was still angry. "We were happy together. We were happy with each other." His lips quirked up into a sad smile and Olivia looked up into his eyes, her heart clenching painfully at this moment. He was right. He was so right. She was always happy with him. Sure they had their bad moments and situations, but she was always happy when she was with him. She was her happiest and so was Fitz.

She stood there and said nothing, looking up into his eyes and opening her mouth like she wanted to say something, but then she closed it and that made him sigh. He was giving up.

"We never had a real chance to be happy. Now we did, but you won't try. You won't take that risk of being happy, Liv, of letting yourself be happy. You won't give yourself a chance to be truly happy and in loved and be loved back...You deserve to be, but you won't let it happen and I don't understand why. I love you, I would make you as happy as possible, but now I can't keep trying..." He sighed sadly. "I can't keep trying to bring you back to me or convince you to be happy. I can't...keep chasing you, so I'm done. We're done; just like you want to be. So go. Leave, go back to Jake and be miserable...Or happy, whatever you think you are." The tears started to fall from his face, but he looked away from her right away. "Goodbye, Olivia." With that, Fitz immediately walked passed her and into the bathroom, slamming the door shut which caused Olivia to flinch.

She stood there for another moment, staring down at the ground and trying her hardest not to cry, but that's what she wanted to do. This whole conversation, his words shattered her and she just wanted to be alone and...cry. Taking in a deep breath, she angrily wiped her tears away and left the bedroom, grabbing her purse from the living room table and exiting the hotel room all together. Her heart shattering when she shut the door and walked out of his life...once again.


	7. Chapter 7

((**Hello, hello! Back with another chapter! A bit longer, but that's always a good thing, isn't it? :P I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, too! This might make people happy again I hope haha! We so appreciate and love your reviews and they make us so happy so feel free to keep leaving more! :) If you have suggestions, or theories feel free to leave them here! **

**Real quick, to the guest that has said nothing but negative things about "this" Olivia (calling her exhausting and wanting me to kill "this" Olivia and how I'm not over Shonda's Olivia), but if you watched the other seasons, you would see Olivia has left before. It's not just season three where she has turned her back on Fitz, it was also season 1 and in season 2. So, "this" Olivia in this story, isn't really season 3 Olivia because she isn't confused about Jake or anything like that like Shonda has her. It's basically her fear of committing and her running away, so please, watch the other seasons and you'll understand she has ran away many times before. And if this Olivia is so exhausting and whatnot, you don't have to keep reading, you know. Anyway, had to say that, but thank you to everyone else for your reviews! :D Also, Freckled98, you make me laugh with your comments about an Olitz baby! Love it! You really seem determined to have that happen! :P****))**

Olivia opened the door of her apartment and stepped inside before slowly closing the door behind her. She felt dead inside and it felt cold in here; colder than it usually did. Empty. Lonely. /She/ felt empty and lonely and it was a feeling she felt every time she lost Fitz, including the times she walked away, a feeling she hated to feel, but one she caused upon herself most of the time. She felt used to it, but it still hurt like hell and she hated it. It never got better. It never got easier as she expected, or rather wished, it to become with time. Did she really let herself be miserable? Did she really not give herself a true chance at happiness? But she left to /try/ and be happy, not miserable.

_And look how well that's working out. _Olivia mentally thought with a heavy sigh as she locked the door and headed deeper inside the apartment. She couldn't get over how cold, lonely and empty she felt being away from him and she always felt like that when she wasn't with him and that only proved how much she really loved him and how much she really did want and need him despite trying her hardest not to feel like that. Despite telling herself it wasn't true. Was it even possible to not feel like that? _No. _She answered her own question with a scoff, shaking her head. No matter how hard she tried, Olivia could never forget Fitz. She could never stop loving, wanting or needing him, but if that were so, why couldn't she just give him a chance? To give /them/ a chance? Before, it was because he was the married President and she just didn't see a way of them being together, nor was it right morally and it would ruin their image and reputation. Especially his because he was The President of the United States. But she didn't have that excuse to say no anymore. Fitz actually got the divorce and was a free man, yet here she was still denying him and refusing to be with him.

Sometimes she didn't understand herself either, yet Fitz always seemed to. Fitz seemed to know her better than she knew herself and she hated it. However, this time he even said he didn't understand her which crushed her and made her feel like she ran away too much. That she shouldn't. But she left because she felt it was the right and best thing to do for him. He needed to grieve with his family and she couldn't look at him without feeling responsible for his son's murder. That was the main reason for her disappearance this time, but all the other times? They were out of fear; her own fear of being with a married or previously married man and for the sake of his Presidency, at least that's what she always said and tried to make herself believe. If he divorced and they got together, his time as Presidency would be over and that wasn't something she wanted. That wasn't something he deserved to have end. He was an incredible man and an amazing President and he deserved to be in such a highly intelligent and powerful position. He cared about this nation, about the world, and the people in it and she didn't want him to lose the career he so deserved and worked incredibly hard to get. The nation needed him and she didn't want him to lose that; to lose what he worked so hard for and she didn't want the people to lose him either.

But then again, she never gave them a real chance to actually try because each time, she left. Maybe if she did stay, maybe if his marriage did end and she and Fitz got together, everything would have worked out just fine. They could be happy right now; together and happy like he always wanted, but she never gave that a chance. She always got too scared, doubtful and made her own assumptions based on her thoughts so she changed her mind in the end. It was also partly out of guilt for ruining his marriage, but with time she came to realize she wasn't responsible for their marriage falling apart and she had nothing to feel sorry for because Mellie was power-hungry and manipulative. She cared more about her position than Fitz and she was so sick of the times Mellie called her a whore or berated her for being with Fitz despite her being the one to beg Olivia to come back to him. After that she stopped feeling guilty and it helped to know that their marriage was dead long ebfore Olivia came into the picture and Fitz wasn't in love with Mellie at all. So, with all of that in mind, what if she actually gave them a chance? The divorce, Fitz 'dating' other women before they got together...they could be happy and perfectly fine right now, but they would never know because each time, she ran. And she did it yet again.

"_You won't let yourself try to be happy, but you have no problem with being miserable." _Those words that Fitz said kept replaying over and over in her mind. Was she miserable? Was she really preventing herself from being happy? The one question that could probably answer this was: What was Olivia's happiness? What would make her stop being miserable? What would make her truly happy?

She soon came out of her thoughts when she heard someone approach her and when she looked up, she found Jake Ballard standing in front of the hallway. He was the last person she wanted to see because she knew exactly what he was going to say. And she didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to hear his lectures about how toxic her relationship with the President was, and how pointless and ridiculous it was. She was sick of it. She was tired of hearing such things from him; especially in a moment like this and though he hadn't said anything yet, she knew he would soon enough. The only thing she wanted right now was to be alone, but it seemed she wouldn't get any of that anytime soon.

"You went to see him." Jake stated, more like accused, looking at her.

"Yes." She answered simply, no guilt present in her voice. She already hated his tone.

"You stayed the night with him." He added to his previous accusation, a brow quirked as he looked at her. He almost sounded like a husband who was interrogating his wife, or more like a policeman who interrogated a suspect, and either way, she hated the way he acted. She hated the fact that he thought that he could try to guilt trip her. They weren't together. They never were and she hated the fact that he acted as if they were. He had no right to act that way toward her and she was sick of it.

Olivia took a deep breath. Clearly, by those words, Jake knew they slept together. "Yes." She said, narrowing her eyes. She knew that Jake was trying to make her feel guilty for it. For going to see Fitz, for staying with him, for making love to him, but there was no way in hell she would let Jake make her feel as such.

"Why?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest and that angered Olivia.

"Excuse me?" She asked with an angry scoff, quirking a brow. "Where do you get off asking me that, Jake? I'm free to do what I want and what I want to do, or choose to do, isn't any of your business." She defended, glaring at him.

"That isn't how I meant it, Liv! Why..." He took a deep breath, trying to hide the jealousy, but it was obvious. It always was. "Why do you let him do this to you? You get away from him, you start to fix yourself, you start to feel better, and then you let him draw you back in and then the progress stops. /Why/ do you let him do that to you!?" He asked, baffled and even sounding annoyed and Olivia stared at him for a few moments before shaking her head with a humorless chuckle.

"He didn't do /anything/ to me, Jake. I'm the one that agreed to see him, I'm the one that went over there, I'm the one that /wanted/ him to kiss me, so don't put this on him!" She defended and Jake let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"Come on, Liv. It /is/ on him! You were getting yourself together and then all of a sudden he shows up and he ruins everything or he tries to make you feel guilty for guilty. He ruins what you've been trying to do for six months; any progress of getting over him is now gone because he couldn't let you go, because he couldn't handle you being gone, so he had to come out and find you. He doesn't care about how you feel, it's all about him and what he wants, Liv, but you don't see that! You don't see that he manipulates you, that he makes you fall for his charm and -" Before he could finish, Olivia cut in.

"STOP!" She angrily shouted, having enough of this. "Five, he isn't trying to make me fall for anything or manipulating me into anything because I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions and I know when I'm being manipulated." She said, her voice accusing towards Jake as if saying she felt that way with him sometimes. "Four, it's insulting that you could even think I am someone who is easily manipulated into something because like I said, I know when it's being done, Jake.; I'm not stupid." She practically spat out, taking a step closer and glaring at him with those cold, dark eyes of hers. "Three, he didn't ruin anything nor has he tried to make me feel guilty for anything or "charmed" me. I feel guilty by my own choice because of what I have done so don't act like you know how I feel because you sure as hell don't." She added, then continued. "Two, Fitz has /always/ cared about me and how I feel; more than anyone else has. He tries to make me happy, he tries to get me to see the positive sides in everything, to see the light, and /I/ am the one who ruins it or someone else does, so that, is /not/ on him." She said just as strictly, also saying that accusingly as if Jake has tried to ruin and sabotage what she and Fitz had, on purpose. Actually, thinking back on it, she was sure he has. "And one, there is no progress, Jake. There never was! I haven't fixed myself, I don't feel fixed, or even slightly fixed and there will never be any progress with me getting over Fitz because I can't. I love him as much as I always have, maybe even more, and I /really/ need you to get that through your head once and for all." Her eyes glared up into his as he continued to remain silent. "I. Love. Fitz. I. Love. Him." She said more than once as if he didn't hear it the first hundred time she told him. "And don't you /ever/ speak rudely of him again." She demanded, the anger blazing in her eyes thank to Jake's rude words about Fitz, hating that way Jake spoke of the man she loved.

"That man has even saved your life I don't know how many times and all you do is speak lowly of him, all you do is try to push me away from him, to get between us while trying to make him out to be the bad guy when he isn't. He is a good man. A /great/ man, an /incredible/ man and despite everything you have done, he still sees you as his friend yet you don't care because it's all about you and wanting what he has." She knew she was sounding harsh right now, but she didn't care. She was realizing more and more how right Fitz was and how wrong and rude Jake had been and still was; as well as how wrong she, herself, was for ever leaving again. "I love him. I have tried to stop, I have tried to get away, but there is no progress!" She shouted, her eyes watering out of anger, but she quickly blinked them away. "There never will be progress!"

Jake stood there, speechless after everything Olivia just said to him. He didn't really know what to say right now and he wasn't sure if he wanted to say anything at all. He felt pissed and hurt and after a moment, he took a deep breath as he tried to think of a response. "Why, Liv!? Why is there no progress!?" He asked, desperate for answers. Desperate for her and hating how she was still so attached to Fitz even with them being miles apart.

"Because I love him! That hasn't changed, Jake and it never will!" She responded and she was shocked when Jake came forward and grabbed her arms. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to keep her attention.

"Why!? Why can't you get over him, Liv!? What makes him so god damned special that you keep going back to him? Why is he so damn important? Why can't you get over him!?" He shot out a bunch of questions and Olivia lost it, harshly pushing his arms away from her.

"Because he is my happiness! Because he is my light!" She answered loudly, her eyes filled with tears as they went wide at what she just said. There was the answer to her question from earlier. The answer she had been needing. "He and I have never been in an easy situation. It's always been difficult and we've never been able to have a real chance because something or someone gets between us or one of us walks away and that's usually me. We've never had a /real/ chance, but he has /always/ tried to give us one! He has never given up on us, or on me, even after everything I have done to him and I..." She sighed, then took in another breath as her voice softened. "I'm happy with him. I'm was only miserable because I couldn't have him the way I wanted, but I still loved him and I was still happy because I at least had him in some way and I knew that he loved and wanted me most. He has always been my light..." This was hard for her to say, but she needed to tell Jake, to get him to understand and she was also saying it to herself, too. To realize the mistake she made once again, to realize what Fitz was to her, and what she truly wanted in life; what would truly make her happy. It was Fitz.

Jake frowned and took a step away from her; his words cut deep and he realized there really was no chance for him to be with her because it would always be about Fitz. "Fine, Liv. I get it. You wanna be with him? Fine. I bet it won't work out and if it doesn't, I'm not going to be here anymore. You can just stay alone if he ends up hurting you again." With a scoff, he shook his head in defeat and headed towards the exit, opening the door and slamming it shut behind him.

Olivia closed her eyes which caused a few tears to fall from them, but she angrily wiped them away and headed for her room. She thought over the argument they just had, she thought over everything she just said to Jake which surprised her because she hadn't been that open about her feelings with anyone; not even with herself because she couldn't bring herself to admit those things about Fitz; not when she was trying to get over him. The point was trying to forget him, trying to let go of her love for him, but she knew that was impossible. She walked inside of her room and closed the door before leaning her head back against the white wood and closing her eyes.

"_Because he is my happiness! Because he is my light!" _Those words replayed in her mind over and over and she felt herself smile. She was feeling...happy. It felt good to admit that about Fitz. It felt good to think of him, it felt good to /be/ with him. That was her answer. That was what she needed to do. Fitz was her answer. Fitz was her happiness, he always had been even in their most difficult situation, but they never had a chance to /really/ be happy together and now...they did. They had a chance to stand in the light together; to come out of the darkness because they were the only ones who would really help each other. In her darkest, most depressing times, Olivia always thought of Fitz and just thinking about him managed to lift her spirits. The way he could make her smile and laugh, the way he could lift her up when she was feeling down, the way he could make her see the light when she was feeling dark and doubtful...All roads lead to Fitz.

"All roads lead to Fitz." She whispered to herself, her lips smiling wider as she let out a soft, teary-eyed laugh. Her roads lead to Fitz. He was her destination; he was the place she always wanted to be and now she was one hundred percent sure about that.

Her eyes filled with tears again and she walked over to her drawer and opened it, digging through all of her pajama shirts and shorts before she pulled out a light gray shirt that was underneath all of her other clothes and in the back. She unfolded it, holding it out in front of her as she felt her lips stretch into a sad smile when she read the word that was on the front of it. In big, bold dark blue letters it said "NAVY" on it. It was a large t-shirt, definitely larger than what she usually wore and that's because it didn't belong to her. It belonged to Fitz. Her sad smile faded and it turned into a deep, depressing, heartbroken frown, and she brought the shirt against her chest, holding it there before walking to the bed and sitting down on the edge of it.

Her eyes closed, and she felt a couple of tears fall from her dark eyes as the memory started to resurface in her mind.

"_You're wearing my shirt." Came his husky voice from the entrance door of her bedroom, leaning against the door frame dressed only in his blue striped boxers. He gave her that charming smile of his as his blue eyes roved down her body, taking in every part of her, but mostly focusing on her upper body which was now covered with his light gray, large NAVY shirt. God, she looked incredible in it. Beautiful and sexy._

"_I'm wearing your shirt." She repeated with a cute smile of her own, her cheeks heating up at the way he stared at her which caused her to stare down at her lap bashfully as she remained seated on the bed. After they had an intense and passionate round of love-making, the two slept for a couple of hours before waking up at around 11 p.m and deciding to have some dessert. Fitz mentioned he knew just what to make so he climbed out of the bed after kissing her, slipped on his boxers and disappeared out of the room._

_Olivia had instantly become cold without him and she wasn't sure where her clothes were; probably scattered around the room, but when she leaned over the bed to look, she found his navy t-shirt laying there and she grinned to herself as she reached down to grab it. She brought it towards her face, his warm, masculine scent filling her nostrils and she inhaled deeply while massaging the soft cotton with her fingers, her body trembling and then relaxing as a result of his scent. She then pulled it over her body, giggling at how big it fit her, falling to her thighs, but she loved it. It was so comfortable, it was so warm and it was so...Fitz. That's what the best part was. It was Fitz._

_Minutes later Fitz had returned to the bedroom with two bowls of vanilla ice cream glazed with chocolate syrup and two strawberries on each sides of the bowls. It looked absolutely delicious and Olivia could feel her mouth watering at the sight. Partly at the ice cream, but also at Fitz's naked, glorious body. However, her stomach growled for the ice cream and she felt herself blush a little more because of how loud it was. Chuckling softly, Fitz walked over to the bed and sat down next to her before handing her one bowl and quickly pecking her cheek._

"_It looks good on you. Incredible, actually. Sexy, too." He praised, eyeing her up and down appreciatively. "It definitely looks better on you than it does on me." He complimented with a wink and she playfully rolled her eyes while taking a spoonful of ice cream and eating it._

"_It feels incredible. It's really comfortable and warm, and it smells a lot like you." She said with a smile and he gazed into her eyes with that charming smile of his. "I might keep it." She added and he let out a soft laugh, eating a spoonful of his own ice cream before he scooped up some more and held it out to her. _

"_I wouldn't protest if you did. It's actually one of my oldest shirts, even though it probably doesn't look like it, but I'd love for you to have it." He said, and with a wide, excited smile, she leaned forward and wrapped her lips around his spoon before pulling back once she had the ice cream in her mouth. Her eyes said thank you, as did her smile as she swallowed the ice cream._

"_Delicious." She praised with a chuckle and Fitz smirked widely before leaning in and pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth, his tongue slowly and sensually licking the spot there where she managed to smear some chocolate syrup after her last bite._

"_Yes, you really are." He responded and she let out a giggle before turning her head so her lips fully touched his. After that kiss, they continued to eat their ice cream and during that time, they had licked chocolate syrup off one another from various parts of their bodies before they engaged in yet another round of hot and passionate love making._

Olivia clenched the navy shirt in her hands and against her body, burying her face in it and inhaling deeply. She got this shirt years ago; before she resigned and it had smelled so much like him, but now...that scent was gone. All she smelled was her own scent. His was gone. The memory caused the tears to flow more freely, sliding down her cheeks and dropping onto her lap, and she felt unable to wipe them away due to the rush of sadness and regret that filled her body. She missed his scent, she missed his warmth, she missed him. How could she be so stupid to walk away from him again? How could she walk away from the man that made her feel like this? She had to make things right. She couldn't stay here, she couldn't stay away from him! She cried softly into the shirt, clutching it tightly as possible as if it were him, and she wished it was.

As she sat there, crying into his shirt, many more of their memories swarmed her mind and each one of them were deep, intimate, passionate and loving moments between them. She remembered his words perfectly during each one of the memories she was thinking of and she replayed them in her head which kept the tears going.

"_You're the most important person in my life. I can't just stop, can you?"_

"_You own me! You control me, I belong to you." … "I love you. I'm in love with you, you're the love of my life. My every feeling is controlled by the look on your face. I can't breathe without you, I can't sleep without you. I wait for you, I watch for you. I exist for you."_

"_A man who isn't President has options. A man who isn't President can divorce his wife. A man who isn't President can have a life. A life he wants, a life he's always wanted. With the woman he loves."_

"_Say you'll wait for me. We love each other. We belong together. So say it. Say you'll wait for me. Wait for me, Olivia."_

"_This past year, I have learned only one thing. That I cannot exist without you. That I cannot breathe without you. That the man I am without you is...I'm nothing. I'm nothing and you are everything. And I need you to give me another chance. I demand another chance. We're worth another chance."_

"_You can't fix the fact that I love you; that I love you more than I love being President. I have told you, that I'd give it all up for you again and again and you know what I think? I think you don't believe me. I think you believe that I will never choose you. So this time, I'm fixing things. We're going to sit here for the next twenty one minutes; we're going to sit here and the clock on my marriage is going to run out. We're gonna run it out together; you're gonna watch me run out this clock. You're gonna sit here with me and watch me choose you. Sit with me. Sit with me, Liv. Sit with me and let's run out this clock. Sit with me and watch me choose you. Watch me earn you."_

"_Something happens and you're the one I want to talk to."_

"_This house is yours, ours. I had it built for us. When it looked like there was a chance for us, I bought the land and I had it built. I couldn't really be mayor, but you can make Jam. And there are rooms for lots of kids. This was going to be you and me raising a family and growing old together in this house. It was supposed to be our house, Livvie. And I just wanted you to see it at least once, at least once before I sell it. I wanted you to see the dream."_

"_I love you."_

All of those moments were moments where Fitz verbalized his love for her. His undying love and loyalty, and it showed that he never gave up. That he never wanted to give up. Even after she went behind his back, or walked away from him, or got angry at him for things, he still loved her unconditionally and he still fought for her. He still proved that he loved her no matter what she did or what happened between them. How could she walk away from him? From a man like that who truly loves and cares about her? No one had loved or cared about Olivia Pope like Fitzgerald Grant did. He was perfect. Yes, he had his imperfections, everyone did, but they made him perfect in her eyes and they didn't change her love for him. He was an incredible man who cared about everyone and always wanted to do the right thing, especially by and for her. The tears poured from her eyes, causing the shirt to dampen just a little bit as she thought about how she walked away from him; away from what could have been an incredibly amazing like with Fitz. She made a mistake. She hated admitting that, but she made the biggest mistake of her life and now, she had to fix it.

With her mind made up, Olivia nuzzled the shirt to dry her eyes and folded it back up before setting it on the bed and hurrying into the closet to grab her suitcase. She tossed it onto the mattress and opened it up before starting to pack a bunch of her clothes and other things into it. There was no way she'd be able to take /everything/ right now, she didn't have time to, so she concentrated only on her necessities.

She was going to fix this. She was going to go back to Washington D.C. and fix what she broke between her and the man she loved. Her life was empty, lonely and sad without him and she wanted nothing more than to be with him; something she knew now more than ever and something she was going to make happen. Or at least try to. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she would try. This time it was her turn to prove her love for Fitz; this time it was her turn to earn him and prove that she really did love him and want him and that she wouldn't run away again.

**((How do you all think Olivia will try to prove her love for Fitz/earn him? Feel free to leave your theories! ;) ))**


	8. Chapter 8

((**Hi! :) Sorry for the late update, this week has been crazy for both of us! Work is hectic and school is hectic. But we're still here! We plan on finishing this story, but updates may be a little slow due to work and school, but we hope you'll still stick around and read this story! And thank you to all that do! We appreciate all the people reading this story and the reviews so feel free to leave more! We love and appreciate them. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter! Some of your speculations are right and we love seeing them so feel free to leave more! What do you think will happen? Enjoy! ))**

It had been a long day for Fitz. After his argument with Olivia, he jumped in the shower and a few minutes later he left for the last meeting of his trip before boarding the plane and heading back to D.C. He was upset, hurt, crushed, devastated...all of that and so much more. After making love to Olivia, he felt so happy and so complete; he felt like he had her back in his life and that maybe, just maybe, she would come home with him. However, he was severely disappointed when he woke up the next morning and found her almost dressed and about to leave. Part of him wished he would have pretended to be asleep so he could avoid the heart breaking argument, but at the same time, he was tired of it. He was tired of chasing her only to be pushed away and shot down. He was tired of proving his love for her, proving he would choose her, only to later have her turn her back and walk away from him. This was his last try and he couldn't help but wish he never went, but it was time she hear his frustrations. It was time he told her how he felt.

His son died and she left him, then months later, after hearing about her whereabouts, he chose to seek her out. He had to see her, he needed to make sure she was alright and he needed to talk to her about what happened and why she did what she did. He needed answers. He supposed that he deserved them since she left without even bothering to say goodbye. After receiving said answers, he just didn't understand her. He didn't understand why she refused to give them a real chance, especially now that he wasn't married. Yes, he was still the President, but he was single which had been his goal for many years; even more so once he met Olivia and fell in love with her. They had their chance now, but that didn't seem to matter to her. Nothing seemed to work when it came to Olivia and he was at a loss. All that would come from this, all that did come from Fitz chasing her and trying to get her to be with him, was pain, heartbreak and disappointment, and he just couldn't handle that anymore.

He missed her more than anything and being in Washington without her just felt so...different. It felt lonely and he hated it, but there was nothing he could do about it except try and move on. He had to do his absolute hardest to move on, to get over her. She seemed determined to do the same with him.

"_We're not over. We're not ever going to be over; I am never going to be over you." _

The words he said to her almost a year ago replayed through his mind and he tried so hard to keep himself together. Could he get over Olivia? Could he ever really be over her? No, probably not, but what other choice did he have? He may not get over her, but he had to move on, at least.

Fitz was currently making his way down the White House halls, towards his Oval Office, while greeting and engaging in small talk with people here and there as they welcomed him back. Cyrus questioned him about his trip, asking if he did anything interesting and Fitz lied about it, but it seemed like Cyrus could read right through those lies because he commented on how he seemed sadder than usual, but Fitz ended the conversation by saying he needed to get to his office and then he walked away. He didn't want to talk about Olivia; he didn't want to think of her right now.

Arriving at the area outside of his office, Fitz gave a polite smile to Lauren who smiled back and immediately stood up. "Good evening, Mr. President! Welcome back." She greeted with a smile and Fitz nodded politely in response while also giving a smile, although his was strained and much smaller.

"Evening, Lauren. How did everything go while I was gone?" He asked, stopping at her desk.

"Great. You received a few messages, including potential meetings; all which I left on your desk." She responded and he gave a smile, although it seemed...fake. He seemed drained and empty, like he had the life sucked out of him. Ever since his son died, he didn't seem himself, he wasn't as happy or active as he used to be, which Lauren completely understood, but right now he seemed even worse. "Is everything alright?" She decided to ask, finding herself to care for him like family over the years.

"Just exhausted, Lauren, but thank you." He lied and she just nodded in response. "Do I have anything on the books for today?" He then asked, hoping he was free right now because he really didn't feel up to doing anything or seeing anyone. He needed some time alone.

"No, sir. You are free or the rest of the evening." She answered, double checking herself by looking up his schedule on the computer and he looked relieved.

"Good, thank you. Excellent work, Lauren, as always." He praised kindly and Lauren smiled in response with a 'thank you' before taking her seat.

He was happy and relieved he had nothing on his schedule for today and he hoped no one would come bother him. All he wanted to do was be alone and rest, even though rest felt impossible given what just happened hours ago. Letting out a heavy sigh, he gripped the door knob and opened the door, but when he stepped inside what he saw surprised him. It shocked him. He didn't expect this. His heart jumped, his stomach flipped and his brows furrowed in confusion while his eyes glared at the person whom was in his office. He was utterly confused and shocked during this moment. Maybe even slightly angry.

"Hi." Came her soft voice, full of sadness, regret and guilt as she stared at the man before her with her brown, deeply apologetic eyes.

"Hello." He greeted and Olivia felt her stomach hurt at his greeting. The last time he greeted her like that, in such a cold, distant and unloving way was at the church right before Verna's funeral services after he found out about Defiance. It broke her then and it did right now, but she supposed she deserved it. No, not supposed. She /did/ deserve it, and she had to bring herself to admit that no matter how hard it was.

As much as he wanted to take her into his arms, he resisted. He refused. He wouldn't get his hopes up right now, and part of him wondered if this was just some sick illusion his mind was playing on him due to the heavy exhaustion he was feeling. How was she here? /Why/ was she here? If this was actually her and if it was, that wouldn't make him any less angry. Well, maybe a little bit because she actually came back to D.C. and was standing in his office, obviously for a reason, but he just couldn't get his hopes up. He refused. Every time he got his hopes up, every time he got excited, it was shot down and he was broken and he just couldn't risk that right now.

"I know you didn't expect me to see me," She started with a nervous smile, but it faded at his silence. "But I...I did some thinking. I thought about everything you said back in the hotel." She added with a sigh, watching him for any reaction.

"And?" He asked a little coldly, walking passed her and over to the front of his desk before turning around and leaning back against it. He was trying to keep distance between them.

She was a little frustrated with his response, but she chose to let that go. He was angry and he had that right, but her being here counted for something didn't it? "And you were right." She hesitantly admitted, a hard swallow traveling down her throat. It was never easy for Olivia to admit that she was wrong and someone else was right, it was never easy for her to apologize or admit she made a mistake but right now she did and she hoped it counted for something.

Fitz was honestly surprised to hear her say those words and he felt himself become a little more hopeful and relieved. His eyes lit up a bit, but just a little because he was still being cautious. He needed her to explain what she meant; he needed to hear what she was admitting to. He figured he knew, but he needed to hear her say it. He needed her to explain more and since she came all this way, he knew she probably would but she was just struggling since opening up and sharing her emotions wasn't something Olivia Pope did so easily or often.

The way he seemed to perk up a little bit caused the same for Olivia, but she could still see how cautious and guarded he was being. He was keeping his distance, he was staying silent, and she understood that. She didn't blame him and she knew she needed to talk more; it was her turn to talk, it was her turn to apologize and prove that she loved him and that she was here to stay. The air felt so uneasy and she hated it.

"I was miserable, Fitz. I thought that if I left it would be better for myself and for you. That I could fix myself being away from everything and everyone, but I was wrong." She sighed, swallowing hard and glancing down at the floor for a minute; avoiding looking at him. "I was more unhappy than I ever had been and it was mostly because I was so far away from you, especially with what you were going through and I felt so terrible for leaving, but I..." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "I couldn't look at you. You lost your son because of my mother and /I/ felt responsible. I helped her escape, I had you help me and if that hadn't happened, Jerry would be alive. He'd be...He'd be here, but he isn't and I feel to blame because of that and I didn't feel right being around you because of that. You needed to be away from me and I needed to be away from you because I didn't feel like I deserved to be anywhere near you after what happened and I'm...sorry." She apologized, a word she didn't use often. It was rare when she apologized, but right now it was definitely needed. "I'm sorry for what my mother did, I'm sorry for leaving and I'm sorry for hurting you..." It was difficult for Olivia to open up like this and Fitz could see her struggle but he truly appreciated her effort and he felt himself softening up.

To see her apologize, to see her opening up even though it was hard for her, warmed Fitz's heart. His eyes softened, filling with love again, but he didn't make any move to go near her. He was still afraid to get his hopes up, but he was glad she came all this way and he wondered if it was just to apologize to him, or if she planned to stay. Forcing that question out of his mind, Fitz let out a sigh and closed his eyes when he remembered Jerry's death. He had never felt so devastated in his life and it still broke him just thinking about it, but it got easier to hold back and hide.

"Liv," He called softly, needing her to look at him, but he knew she was also having trouble with that. After a moment, Olivia forced her head up and she forced her eyes to lock onto his; her body relaxing a little bit at how soft his eyes were now. "I told you it was /not/ your fault. It was /not/ your doing that Jerry died. I get it was your mother, but that doesn't make you responsible, it makes /her/ responsible. Neither of us had any idea who she truly was, so it's on us that she escaped, but it isn't on us that she murdered my son. I need..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath when he felt the hurt rise in his body at the memory of Jerry. "I need you to stop blaming yourself and I need you to stop apologizing for what your mother has done and for who she is because that's on her and not on you. We are not our parents and," He opened his eyes and his soft, soothing, beautiful blue eyes landed on her face. "You know that better than anyone." He whispered. "I was always afraid to be my father, I was always afraid to be like him but you always told me that I'm not. That I'm nothing like Big Jerry and never will be so you have to believe the same thing about you and your mother. You are nothing like her and you never will be, so /please/ don't feel that way and don't feel responsible for what happened to Jerry because I don't blame you. At all." He assured her, his face serious as was his voice.

He didn't blame her one bit for what happened to his son and he knew Olivia was nothing like her mother, or her father, and she never would be. Her mother was an evil, murderous, cold blooded killer and Olivia was nothing like her. Olivia was kind, sweet, generous, life saving, caring, loving, funny, beautiful and just so much more that Fitz could spend all day describing and praising. She was without a doubt the most incredible, stubborn and beautiful woman Fitz had ever known and there was no one else like her.

Olivia was taken aback by his words, but they truly meant a lot to her. His words always matter most to her. And he did have a point when he mentioned him and Big Jerry being different because they were nothing alike. While Big Jerry was a cold, self-centered, manipulative, calculating and uncaring alcoholic, Fitz was a sweet, caring, generous, intelligent, charismatic, charming, loving man that Olivia loved with all her heart. A man that was one of a kind and that no other man, in Olivia's eyes, could even come close to beating. He was truly the perfect man and there was no one else like him. Which brought up the question she kept asking herself: How could she leave him? How could she leave a man like that?

She had her answers, but they didn't make sense. Aside from the fact that he was married, but he tried to give that up for her more than once and she still walked away. She shook that thought out of her head and repeated his words in her mind. He was truly sweet for saying such things; for telling her not to feel responsible and that she was nothing like her mother. That was something she needed to hear and she knew he said it at the hospital when Jerry died, but he was under an immense amount of stress, so to hear it now, still, made her feel better and more relieved, but it also made her feel worse for leaving.

"Is...that all?" Fitz asked, hesitantly.

"What?" She came out of her deep thoughts, glancing up at him.

"Is that all you came to say to me?" Fitz calmly asked, hoping that deep down it wasn't the only reason she came back, but he wouldn't push it. He would just leave the question there and hope for the best. He would let her do the talking.

"No, I um..." She shook her head. "I came back. Home." She answered him. "After I thought over everything you said, I realized how right you were and I didn't want to stay away from D.C. any longer, I didn't want to stay away from you..." She admitted and Fitz's eyes widened a little it with a few more tears.

Was she serious? She had to be. She wasn't laughing or sounding sarcastic or any of that. She actually sounded honest and genuine. "I was miserable there and when you mentioned how we were always happy, you were right. I thought back on every thing and every time we were together, I was happy, Fitz...and when I think about being away from you, I feel...miserable." She was still struggling with her words, but she /had/ to get them out. She had to try her best before she didn't have another chance and she couldn't run away. Not again.

He didn't know what to say or what to do. He was in shock and pleasantly surprised at her words. She basically admitted to still loving him, to wanting to be with him and to being happy when she was with him. He swallowed hard, tempted to take her into his arms, but he wanted her to make the move. It was her turn to pursue him, but at the same time, he didn't know how to feel. He remembered Vermont and how she kissed him and made love to him, but some time later, after they started on the Campaign Trail again, she wanted to resign. Then after some more arguing, she mentioned that they should stop pretending and just be here, which he was happy to hear despite her comment about there being no Vermont, but she was basically choosing him and he was ecstatic. She even started the kiss, but unfortunately, later she slept with Jake again and then left on a plane with him, so every time Olivia chose Fitz, she left him some time after for some reason and he was afraid that would happen again.

"Liv," He started, and Olivia heard the hesitance in his voice which scared her.

_No, no. Please don't give up on me, Fitz. _She prayed mentally before gathering her strength and walking up to him which took him by surprise. He remained still, gazing into her eyes while keeping his hands away from her; still hanging down his own sides.

"Just...please, Fitz. I came back to see you, to /be/ with you, to give us a real chance this time." She said, keeping her voice hopeful and trying not to seem desperate or like she was pleading, but deep down, she was. She didn't want to lose him; the thought crushed her and she wanted them to have a real chance like he kept talking about. "I wanted to come back. I wanted to come back home and give our relationship a real chance and be back at OPA. You kept talking about a real chance and how we never had one and now we do and you were right, so please, don't tell me you've given up on that." She somewhat pleaded, searching his eyes for his answer as her hands came up to cup his face; touching both of his cheeks.

Sighing, Fitz brought his hands up to hers and kept them there for a moment. "Livvie, you know I want to be with you more than anything. You know how much I love you, and how I would give everything up for you, for us," He started and Olivia felt her heart breaking because she could feel a 'but' about to happen.

_He's given up. I'm too late. _She mentally stated, trying to keep the tears at bay that she could feel building.

"But," Her heart broke when he said that. "Every time we have tried, and every time you have chosen to be with me you have still ran away. Be it weeks or months later, something happens and it makes you leave me, so I don't know if I can...trust you with this, this time." He said and he could see the pain in her eyes. God, he wanted nothing more than to be with her, than to kiss her, but what if days, weeks or months later, she left him again? Either because she got scared, or someone convinced her, or something else. He wouldn't be able to handle that again. "I love you, I want to be with you, but I'm afraid you'll run at some point and I can't handle that again, Livvie." He whispered and her eyes showed understanding as well as hurt. Hurt that she deserved, hurt that she felt was right.

"I don't want to run, Fitz. I don't plan on running and I want to prove that to you, if you'll let me." She said, hoping she would be able to. She knew she couldn't predict the future, but she dearly hoped she wouldn't run away again. She couldn't because she knew if she did, she would lose him for good and that was something she didn't want to happen.

He thought about it, his eyes staying locked with hers, searching her eyes for any hesitance or uncertainty but he didn't find any. Did she really want to prove it to him? Did she really want to stay this time? "I want you to. I /need/ you to prove to me that you actually want and plan to stay this time. That you won't run away from me, from us, if things get difficult or scary; that you won't tell me our relationship is bad for my Presidency and then leave. None of that, Olivia. If you want a real chance, you don't run. You stay and we work together, we /stay/ together because we're in this together." He stated strictly, wanting to make sure she understood that.

She was scared. Very scared because the last time she had been in a real relationship was with Edison but that was years ago and it was nothing like her and Fitz's. She hadn't loved Edison like she loved Fitz, she hadn't felt connected with Edison like she did with Fitz. Her love for Fitz, the way she felt around him and with him, their chemistry and their love, was far beyond anything she ever felt with anyone and it terrified her. She didn't want it to change or break and she had become a closed off person, so she knew that getting in a relationship again would require her to open up and not run. And with Fitz it was different. A scary, but good different. She wanted to try and make this work with him. She wanted to open up to him and she would give her best to open up to him and stop herself from running away when things got difficult.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Olivia dropped her hands from his face and stepped away, putting some distance between them.

"Come in." Fitz called, a little irritated but when he saw Lauren he calmed down.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but Vice President Andrew Nichols and Chief of Staff Cyrus Beene are requesting your presence at Mr. Beene's office. They said they have something to discuss with you and would like to go over the details of your trip." Lauren informed them and Fitz let out an annoyed groan.

"Can't it wait?" He asked and Olivia tried to hide her disappointment.

"Mr. Nichols said he has to head to New York for some sort of event in a couple of hours so he wouldn't be available." She answered.

Sighing, Fitz ran a hand through his hair and nodded. "Alright, I'll be there shortly." He said and with a nod, Lauren exited the room and closed the door behind her.

Olivia stared down at the ground and Fitz turned to her, keeping the distance. "If you want to be with me, Liv, if you /really/ want to be with me, you have to be sure. No regrets and no chance of you leaving after this happens. You need to be sure and you have to prove it to me. I want us to be happy and I want to get my hopes up and believe you, but you have to understand my fear and hesitance with this after everything between us, after all the times you've left me after saying we'd be together." He stated rather sternly, but there was still some softness in his voice. "Prove it to me, Olivia. I need you to prove it to me and be sure that this is what you want and that you won't back out. I can't handle you running away again and if you do, that's it. I won't be chasing you, I won't be pursuing you because it's your turn. Prove it to me, Livvie." And with that, he walked passed her, his hand brushing against hers before he exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Olivia just remained silent, taking in everything he was saying. Was her coming out here not enough? Probably not and she couldn't blame him for that. Coming here didn't mean she wasn't planning on running away again, so she knew she had to do something that showed she was actually in this for good this time. That she was one hundred percent sure she wanted to have a real chance with him; a real, public, committed relationship with the man she loved more than anything. She had to show that to him, she had to prove it and she had to do it soon. And there was something she had in mind; something she was sure that would work. Something that would prove she was in this. That they were in this together. For good this time.


	9. Chapter 9

"You want to have dinner?" Fitz asked into the phone with raised brows.

"Yes." Olivia answered, swallowing hard. Would he say yes?

"With me?" He asked, needing to be sure.

"Obviously." She laughed softly and he returned the laugh.

"Hey, I'm just trying to make sure." He smirked, then took a deep breath before asking his next question. "At a restaurant?" He asked a bit hopeful and he mentally chided himself for that. He wasn't supposed to get that hopeful, was he? Being in public with her probably wouldn't happen anytime soon, unfortunately.

At the other end, Olivia hesitated and let out a soft sigh, shaking her head. "I was thinking at your place. In the White House" She responded a little hesitantly and she heard Fitz sigh on the other line.

"You mean inside where no one can see us?" He assumed, his voice becoming a little colder and that made Olivia frown.

"It's not just for that reason, Fitz." She assured him, leaning back in her office chair and closing her eyes. "Yes, I'd still like us to stay out of the public eye, just for a little while, but I'd also like us to have some private time, too. I've been gone for six months and I..." She paused, her voice becoming sad. She was struggling opening up with her feelings again and she hated when that happened.

"And you?" He asked softly, encouraging her to finish.

"Just want some time alone with you." She finished and though it wasn't exactly what she wanted to say, Fitz knew what she meant. She missed him, that's what she had wanted to say but the words she chose to say were good enough for him. This was a step right? Her asking to have dinner with him in The White House? Heck, just asking in general...That was a step for her.

"Alright, we'll have dinner over here. Are you cooking? Because if you plan on it, I'll need to fireproof my kitchen. Or at least have the fire department on hold." He teased with a grin and Olivia laughed into the phone.

"I'm not that bad, Fitz! Besides, I was actually thinking of picking something up instead of cooking." She admitted shyly, hating that she wasn't good at cooking. Well, she wasn't the worst, but she wasn't the best either. Or was she? The last time she tried, it turned out as a disaster and she swore to never repeat that experience again. It was a one time thing for her. Out of the two of them, Fitz was definitely the better cook and he proved that numerous times.

"That's fine, Liv. Take out is fine with me." He agreed with another laugh and she smiled in return, becoming more excited about this.

She glanced at the clock on her desk and let out a sad sigh before speaking to him again; her voice soft and sad. "I have to go. Abby is going to fill me in on everything I missed while I was gone."

Fitz chuckled softly and leaned his head back against his char before propping his feet up on his desk. "It probably won't take long. There weren't really any scandals happening." He shrugged and he heard the silence on her end. He was about to call out for her, but then he heard her speak.

"There's always a scandal," She replied quietly, sadly, as if referring to herself once more and Fitz let out a frustrated sigh. He absolutely hated whenever she referred to herself as a whore or mistress or a scandal. She wasn't any of that at all and it made him feel like he was the bad guy because he was on the other end of those things. Like he was some mistake, simply a part of the scandal that she regretted, but he tried not to think about it that way.

Olivia heard his reaction and she immediately regretted her words, afraid they were going to end up arguing about it since she knew how Fitz felt about referring to herself as such, so she immediately spoke up again before he could respond to what she said. "Bye." She said softly, just about to hang up, but he quickly cut in.

"Wait." He pleaded, frowning.

"What?" She responded, hoping he wasn't angry at her for what she said.

"Formal or casual?" He asked and she furrowed her brows in confusion, not sure by what he meant and judging by her silence, he knew she was confused. "I mean for our dinner. Formal or casual clothing?" He explained and Olivia grinned.

"I'd say casual since we're just eating in." She answered, preferring to just wear casual clothing which she figured would be more comfortable for both of them.

"Alright, but just so you know, when I said casual, I meant naked. Because that's pretty casual. As casual as it gets." He smoothly added with a smirk and he heard Olivia laughing on the other end which made him smile happily. Her laugh was music to his ears.

"You are shameless, goodbye." She laughed, hanging up the phone. She loved how Fitz was always able to make a sad conversation, or mood, because happy an light hearted again and she loved how he was always able to make her smile and laugh; more than she did anywhere else and with anyone else.

Once Fitz heard the line go dead, he sighed out a bye of his own and lowered his phone. He wondered how this dinner would go, but nonetheless, he was excited for it. He was excited to have dinner with Olivia, to be alone with her and to just talk and spend time with her, but again, he wouldn't get his hopes up. It was just dinner, something they had done before, and she could still leave at some point so he had to try and not let his guard down no matter how much he loved her.

It was around 7PM and Olivia had just finished getting herself ready for dinner with Fitz. She felt nervous, but also excited thanks to the butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but she needed to do this. She needed to show that she was in this with Fitz, that she really did want a chance with him and that she didn't want to run. Granted it was just dinner, but that was progress right?

She walked onto the grounds of the White House, entering easily thanks to her special pass as well as Morris being a good friend of hers, and Tom was waiting at the front door for her, ready to sneak her into the Presidential Residence. Tom became an expert at doing that and it's also how Fitz was able to come to her apartment so many times because he always had Tom to assist him. Her eyes wandered every now and then to make sure no one was around because the last thing they needed was for Olivia Pope to be seen walking through the White House, towards the Presidential home, and so late in the evening. She really didn't want any rumors or speculations to start up again. Finally arriving at his door, Olivia took a deep breath and set one of the bags down so she could smooth down her baby blue silk blouse that matched beautifully with her cream-colored pants and once she was ready, she gave a nod to Tom who then knocked on the door three times seeing as her hands were full with the contents of tonight's dinner.

A couple of minutes after the knock, Olivia heard the door unlock on the other side followed by it opening and she felt her lips stretch into a wide smile when his face came into view. "Hi." She greeted softly, the nervousness slightly visible in her voice, but she tried to hide it as best as she could.

"Hi." He greeted back, giving her that charming smile of his. A warm feeling bubbled in her stomach when he smiled at her, her heart skipping a beat and her stomach flipping delightfully, but when she noticed what he was wearing, she quirked a brow and eyed him up and down. "What?" He asked when he noticed her look, wondering if something was wrong with him wearing white drawstring pants and his dark red colored Harvard T-shirt. His hair was wet which must have meant he just showered and she couldn't help but chuckle after shaking that image of him naked and wet out of her mind.

"Nothing," She smirked again. "It's just – If we were having a pajama party you could have called to let me know so I could have brought mine." Olivia teased him and he playfully rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Ha, you're funny." He chuckled and before he could say anything else, she quickly responded.

"Funnier than you," She immediately added, laughing at the face he gave her because of that.

"/Anyway/," He emphasized with a smirk, stepping aside so she could come in. "We said casual and since we're just eating here, I didn't think me wearing this would be a problem." He added, closing the door once she fully came inside. "Unless you'd rather me change into something else."

"There is no problem, you look...good. Great. Handsome." She complimented with a soft smile, her voice trailing off a little bit, and he smiled back.

"And you look beautiful, as always." He complimented right back, his blue eyes taking in every part of her, head to toe, before locking with her eyes again and he could see, and sense, her nervousness and how flustered she was feeling now. He swear he could even see some red in her cheeks and he loved that he was able to make her blush. However, the delicious smell of freshly cooked food suddenly filled his nostrils and his stomach immediately responded to it with a loud growl which caused Olivia to laugh loudly.

"I'd say your stomach isn't up for conversations right now until it gets something, huh?" She grinned and Fitz chuckled shyly, patting his tummy.

"I haven't eaten all day, so excuse him for being a little impatient and excited." He smirked, leading Olivia into the kitchen as he patted his tummy.

"All day? Why not? Fitz, you need to be eating something." She lectured softly and Fitz let out a light chuckle.

"Relax, Liv. I had some breakfast, but lunch was out of the picture because I wanted to get everything done as soon as possible so we could have our dinner. Besides, I've been saving my appetite so that's a good enough excuse, isn't it?" He defended with a wide grin and she rolled her eyes.

"For today it is." She said, setting the plastic bags on the counter.

"So what did you end up getting?" He asked, eager to know and even more eager to start digging in, but he forced himself to wait and be patient.

"Well, I know how much you love Ben's Chili Bowl, so..." She trailed off as she started to unload the contents.

"You still remember that? I'm surprised." He teased with a wide smirk, but was very excited and his stomach growled even more at the thought of their delicious food.

"Of course, I do. How can I forget that day when you practically forced me to try one of their hot dogs?" She rolled her eyes, setting out the Styrofoam boxes with the plastic wear and napkins.

"I didn't /force/ you. I just persuaded you to try one, and what ended up happening? Hm?" He questioned with a proud smirk, waiting for her answer.

She rolled her eyes again, folding her arms across her chest and looking at him. "I loved it." She said, laughing and shaking her head at his responding proud smirk and wink.

"Exactly, so you can't be upset with me for that. Besides," His voice softened a little bit. "It was one of our first places we ever ate together." He smiled, remembering the memory of them first eating Ben's Chili Bowl together years ago when she was with him on the Campaign Trail. Mellie had been away doing multiple campaigning stops and he had been dying to get Olivia to try one of his most favorite places ever. What a night that was. It was incredible and amazing. Perfect. It had been pretty messy night, and not just because of the food. He smirked to himself at that thought, but reality hit him and he let out a slightly sad sigh, wishing they could go back to those happy days.

"I know." She replied just as softly, giving him a smile of her own as she, too, remembered that memory. But it seemed so distant and long ago and it made her feel nostalgic and sad so she forced that memory away and started to hand him the items she bought. "Alright, so, I got you your favorite chili-dog with extra cheese and less onions, a chili bowl and a salad. I got myself the same minus the chili bowl, and I also got one thing of chili cheese fries and one thing of regular fries that we can share." She announced happily and Fitz couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. He was practically drooling at this point. Internally and not externally, thankfully.

"Let's eat!" He said excitedly, leading her into the large living room where they sat on the floor on opposite sides of the table; on the shorter sides so they were closer.

The dinner had gone great so far and both of them ate and talked about anything and everything they could think of. Such as things she did while away and things he did while she was away, but they both came to the conclusion that nothing interesting happened. Nothing fun or exciting happened and they both knew it was because they didn't have each other, but neither said that out loud. Olivia half expected Fitz to say something about it, but even he didn't and it surprised her. Even saddened her. He was obviously being guarded and cautious and she completely understood why. She didn't blame him for it, but she hated herself even more because she knew it was her fault.

"You haven't even eaten any of the chili cheese fries, Liv." He said, pressing his fork into a couple of said fries before holding it out to her.

"I have enough chili, thank you." She refused softly with a chuckle, but he didn't move his hand away. He only smirked more.

"Just try it. It's great." He encouraged and with a roll of her eyes, she gave in and leaned forward so she could wrap her lips around his fork. Once she had the fries in her mouth, she pulled back and smiled shyly at him with her mouth full of food, chewing slowly as she savored the taste before swallowing it.

"It's great," She repeated and he winked once more with another proud smile before laughing a little which took her by surprise. Why was he laughing?

"What's so funny?" She asked, quirking a brow and feeling her cheeks heat up out of embarrassment. "Do I have chilli on my face or something? Fitz!" She asked, and when she moved her jaw a little that's when she felt it. The chili was resting on the left corner of her lips, slightly touching her bottom lip, and she could see the look in Fitz's eyes was...seductive. Tempted, even. When this happened, whenever Olivia had food on her lips or near it, Fitz always kissed it off of her. He never missed a moment of that when they were alone and she craved to feel his lips on hers again; she craved to have that sweet, warm contact she so missed so much even though it happened only a day ago.

Fitz mentally debated what to do. He wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss her; it was so tempting and the urge was incredibly strong, but he felt unsure. Kissing her could be a bad idea because of what it could lead to, and he remembered what happened the last time they made love which was only a day ago. The following morning, she was set to leave him, she /did/ leave him, so he felt afraid that if he kissed her, he wouldn't be able to control himself or hold himself back and judging by her look, she wouldn't either. And if they couldn't control themselves, one thing would lead to another and they'd be making love and to be honest, Fitz wasn't sure if he was ready for that. He wasn't sure if he could be physically and emotionally open to her like that right now after what happened and he still wanted her to prove to him that she meant her words. If she meant them, if she wasn't afraid, then she would kiss him first, right?

The sexual tension was extremely high at this moment, and they both found their faces closer than before despite the table separating their bodies. She wanted him to wipe the chili off of her, to use his lips and/or his tongue like he usually did. She just...wanted something from him because if he did it, that meant he trusted her, right? That meant he believed her and that he wanted her, too. But maybe he was waiting for her to make the first move.

_Kiss me, Fitz. _She pleaded mentally, just like at the hotel. _Do what you always use to do..._ She added in her mind, but she remembered the last time she mentally pleaded for him to kiss her. They ended up making love and she was still going to leave him the next morning. She /did/ leave him, and maybe that was what was preventing Fitz from leaning forward and kissing the chill off of her skin; or just kissing or touching her in general. But he looked like he wanted to, and she looked like she wanted him to and judging by the strong sexual air, by the strong sexual silence, there was a high possibility that was about to happen.

**((Hi everyone! We apologize again for any slow updates! We are still working hard on this story and plan on finishing although we aren't sure how long it will be. We're enjoying it very much, though, and we hope you are, too! Look at them having dinner! It's about time! Haha. And I, again, added my own little flashback/memory that didn't happen in the show, but was something I thought would be cute. What do you all think? We hope you enjoy this chapter! Feel free to leave reviews! We love them! :) )) **


	10. Chapter 10

"You're a messy eater," Fitz teased as he grabbed the napkin from next to his plate and handed it to her with a smirk which caused her to become a tad disappointed, but she hid it behind the fake smile she gave him.

But perhaps she deserved this. After all, the last time she wanted Fitz to kiss her, they made love and she ended up leaving and breaking his heart the following morning as a result, so he was obviously being cautious and guarded now and he had that right. She had to earn him; she had to make the moves now because he was the one who always made them, so it was her turn and she was trying. She was thinking.

"Well, when you're eating chili likes this it's hard not to make at least a small mess." She replied with a roll of her eyes, chuckling softly as she brought the napkin to her lips and wiped them, as well as the corner of her lips.

He just smiled at her, finding her so adorable in this moment. With chili smeared on her cheeks and her being embarrassed by it; it was cute. The silence started to become a little awkward because neither knew what to do or say and Olivia wanted to do something. She wanted to kiss him, or maybe at least sit next to him and just be close. Sitting next to him would be okay, right? She felt like it would be. So with her mind made up, Olivia shifted as if about to stand up but what Fitz said next prevented her from moving.

"I forgot to tell you," He started, clearing his throat. "I have to head to California the day after tomorrow for a few days." He informed her, his voice sounding a little sad now.

"Oh." She said quietly, sadness and disappointment present in her own voice at that new information. That meant her plans for earning him, the thoughts and ideas she had, would have to be put on hold and that really disappointed her. "How come?" She asked, poking at the fries on her plate with her fork, seeming disinterested in the food now.

"Andrew is heading down for a charity he does every year and he wants me to go with him. It would be good for my Presidency and you know how I love supporting charities, so I accepted his offer." Fitz answered, noticing how sad and quiet she seemed now and he felt the same way. He just got back to D.C.; he was exhausted beyond belief and he had wanted to spend some time with Olivia, but he kept reminding himself that she needed to earn him now. That maybe some time away might be good, maybe it was what they needed. Some time on their own to think things over after everything that happened lately. Maybe when he'd return, the situation between the two of them would be clearer. But it didn't help the extreme sadness he felt about having to leave her. She'd been away from him for six months, she just came back, and now he had to leave again. Despite wanting her to earn him and be sure she wanted this, he didn't want to be away from her anymore.

"Right. Makes sense. You keep to keep your public image strong." She nodded in agreement and heard him let out a sigh in response, which caused her eyes to lift from her own plate and to rest on his face.

"It's not just about my image, Liv, it's about helping people. And I figured that while I'm down there, I could head to Santa Barbara to see how the ranch is doing." It had been years since he had been there and he'd been wanting to go for some time. It was a beautiful, quiet and peaceful place and Fitz always thought of it as an escape, but he was never really able to utilize it due to his father being there, but now, he could. Maybe he would be able to visit it every now and then and if he and Olivia really got together, he would definitely be taking her there. Granted she had been there during their first Campaign Trail, but it wasn't the greatest, most fun time, and now that his father was gone, he could be there alone with Olivia. _Let's not get ahead of yourself, Fitz. _He warned himself, knowing he needed to keep himself from getting excited at the thoughts of the future with Olivia.

"Okay, well, make sure you have plenty of clothes packed. Am I going to need to choose your ties? You were never really good at choosing them yourself." She teased him with a wide smirk, trying to make the mood light again, but she was still feeling very down and disappointed. What if something happened? What if she never got her chance to earn him? To prove that she was back for good? It scared her to think about and she mentally cursed herself for even waiting so long.

"Ha. Ha. You're hilarious." He rolled his eyes with a grin, remembering all the times she had to choose his ties for him because he wasn't the best when it came to matching, but through the years, with her help, he got better at it.

"More hilarious than you." She retorted with a smirk and let out a small chuckle when she heard his mock gasp.

"Ouch! You're still on me about not being funny? I can be funny, Liv. I /am/ funny and maybe I've become funnier during the last six months." He argued with a chuckle, his own laughter intensifying when Olivia joined in with her laughter. It was good to laugh with her like this again. It was nice to have a good time with her again without worrying about what tomorrow might hold. To just live in the moment, in the now with her and smile and laugh. With a smirk, he picked up a fry from his plate and tossed it at her; the fry hitting her chest gently before landing on her hand which made him laugh more.

"Hey! What was that for!?" She giggled, picking it up and tossing it back at him which he easily caught with his hand and popped in his mouth, eating it.

"Because you're making fun of me!" He smirked, leaning back against the couch and smiling at her as both their laughter started dying down. The silence settled in again, but this time it felt more comfortable and light than before and both of them liked it. They smiled at each other for a few silent moments before Fitz suddenly realized something. "I just realized I didn't get us anything to drink." He laughed softly, getting to his feet and heading into the kitchen. "Wine?" He called out and she nodded even though he couldn't see her.

"Yes, please!" She called back with a smile, munching on a few more of her fries until he came back with two wine glasses and the bottle of wine. He set the glasses down in front of both of them, popped out the cork and filled her glass first and then his own which made her grin.

"Wow." She said with a smirk and he gave her a smirk of his own, although his eyes held confusion.

"What?" He asked, pushing the cork back in before setting the wine bottle on the table and sitting back down.

"You're drinking wine. That's really surprising," She teased and Fitz let out a soft laugh accompanied with a shrug.

"I told you I'm off scotch now. I've always liked wine, but it was never my first pick. I've started to like it more and more recently." He responded, bringing his glass to his lips and Olivia did the same.

Olivia found it surprising that he actually gave up on scotch, but she was also impressed and extremely proud. Fitz drinking scotch wasn't something Olivia liked and in fact, it worried her because sometimes he drank it out of anger which only intensified his anger and sometimes she worried he would hurt himself or do something reckless, but now he was off of it and she felt very relieved. Although, she was curious as to why.

"Why did you give up scotch? If there was one thing I didn't think you would give up, it's scotch" Olivia joked with a soft chuckle and Fitz cleared his throat, almost in an uneasy way. She found it strange that he didn't laugh back.

"I just...decided it was time to let go of scotch. That's all." He answered with a shrug while avoiding her eyes. He seemed uneasy with that question and his response was the same; almost as if he really didn't want to discuss it, but she didn't understand why. The way he answered so quickly and almost sharply made her wonder if there was more to it than that than just it being the time to let go and she was debating asking more, or asking if he was at least okay, but she didn't want to push him or make him upset so she let it go. For now. And that was something Fitz was extremely grateful for and he tried his best to hide his uneasiness with that subject and quickly moved on to something else; he didn't want to seem mad at Olivia because he wasn't, but he just really didn't want to talk about scotch and his reasons for giving it up.

"So," He started with a smile and she smiled back.

"So?" She repeated, placing her elbows on the table and laying her chin on her hand with a cute smile, her eyebrows quirking with interest.

"How is OPA? Were they happy you were back?" He wanted to engage in conversation with her; to talk about anything and everything, and he honestly was curious about how it went when she got back to OPA. Her leaving upset everyone at the firm and he wondered if they were warm and welcoming or cold and distant.

"Happy is a bit of a strong word." She commented with a small smile, reaching for her glass of wine and taking a sip of it. Fitz quirked a brow, watching her closely and listening closely. "I went back yesterday after I came to see you and not /everyone/ was happy." She shrugged, clearing her throat before continuing. "Huck and Harrison were glad I was back. Well, Harrison sort of was glad. He wasn't happy I left in the first place, especially since I never told him goodbye..." A sigh leaked from between her lips and she took another sip of her glass of wine, her voice softening and her lips forming into a slight frown. "It'll take a while until things get back to normal." She added with a small nod to herself.

For a moment, after she mentioned not saying goodbye to Harrison, it seemed that Fitz was thrown somewhere in the past. As if he wasn't there with her anymore. As if he was reliving something. Which he was. "I know how that feels." He whispered, his voice quiet and if it wasn't for her sitting beside him, she wouldn't have figured out what he said. So, he was reliving the day she left without a word and a wave of guilt hit Olivia as soon the realization settled in and her eyes lowered to the glass that she was holding; watching the red liquid inside it as she absentmindedly tilted the glass from side to side.

"I'm sorry." He apologized with a sigh, wishing he hadn't of said that for fear he ruined the mood, but it was already becoming depressing with the current subject anyway. What has gotten into him? Tonight was supposed to consist of a nice dinner and a few light conversations. It was about rekindling what they had, or at least trying to. It wasn't about bringing out old and unpleasant memories.

"It's fine. I deserved that. I should have said something to you, but I couldn -"

"And Huck?" He suddenly cut in which caused Olivia to become confused.

"What?" She asked, not sure what he meant.

"You said Harrison and Huck were happy to see you, but was he angry, too?" He asked and Olivia knew why he changed the subject so quickly. He didn't want to talk about what happened six months ago; about how she left without a word, and truthfully, she was thankful for that, and given how he didn't sound angry when saying it, it made her even more relieved.

"No, Huck wasn't angry. He was the only one who understood my wanting to leave and he was happy I was back, unharmed and safe." She explained with a smile although it was partly sad. There were moments like these that reminded her that she did have some people in the world that cared deeply about her and that she left them behind. That she was selfish enough to leave them behind only because she was scared and felt bad.

"And Abby?" He asked which caused Olivia to smirk and Fitz quirked a brow at that. "What is that look for?" He questioned.

Olivia laughed with a shake of her head. "You actually called her Abby this time. Six months later and I thought you would still call her Gabby." Olivia teased with a small laugh.

Fitz naturally moved his shoulders up and down and gave a small smile. "After you left, she stayed around and tried to help us out at The White House so I figured I should call her by her real name and treat her better than I did the first time. She's a nice girl, very smart and hard working. But she's also really sarcastic and she won't hesitate to right you if you're wrong or go off on you for things." He explained everything he knew and remembered about Abby which caused another laugh to escape from in between Olivia's lips.

"Yeah, she told me about how much nicer you were to her whenever she helped you and you even apologized to her. If there's something Abby appreciates, it's being apologized to. At least she was nicer to you because right now, she isn't too happy with me." Olivia said with a sad smile.

"Didn't she know you were leaving?" He asked, leaning against the table again.

"Yes, but she wasn't happy about it and I don't think she expected me to be gone for six months. They struggled at OPA while I was gone. They didn't have much work, so they didn't have a lot of money to take care of themselves with the exception of the savings account I left them. I had a lot of money stored away on a private account that I reserved only for important times and I felt that this was important, but other than that, they hardly had any work." She explained with a shrug of her shoulders, accompanied by a small sigh. "No one wanted to go to them, no one wanted their help, especially without me there."

"That's why she wanted to help out at The White House." He stated with a nod and Olivia nodded in return.

"Mhm. She said you were generous and that you would help them whenever they needed it." She said with a sweet smile, loving that Fitz would take care of her family like that even though she left and broke him.

"They deserved it. After everything they've all done for me, I wanted to help them, too. Especially Abby for sticking around even when everyone, including me, acted like jackasses the first day she was there." He sighed, still feeling bad about that. "And I knew that with you gone, it wouldn't be easy for them. People go to OPA for the OP, Liv. For Olivia Pope." He said softly, and Olivia looked down. "Your team is great, they're amazing, but you're /the/ Olivia Pope. You're the greatest, no one can do what you do or the way you do it. You're the best fixer, the best manager, the best..." He paused, hesitating and that made Olivia look up at him. "at everything. The best woman...the best person." He added just as softly and Olivia felt her cheeks heat up at his words. He was always able to fluster her, to embarrass her in a good way and to make her feel like she really was the best. He always believed in her, he always made her feel good physically and emotionally and he always complimented and praised her.

"Thank you." She whispered with a wide smile, trying to hide her red face. But there was something she wanted to bring up, something she wanted to talk to him about. Something she knew would be painful for him, but she had to. She wasn't there for him back then, but now she wanted to be. And she could tell that it still ate him up inside, that he had no outlet so now, he did. Or at least, she hoped he would also see it that way.

"Abby said you stopped eating. After...Jerry died and I left, you hardly ate, you hardly slept. You weren't yourself. And Cyrus told me you had a lot of nightmares and you withdrew from everyone." She said and Fitz's face fell. The air, the mood, immediately changed for the worse. It went from sweet and light hearted to painful and depressing. Jerry dying and Olivia leaving was the most devastating time of his life and he never wanted to relive it, he never wanted to think about it. Why did she have to bring this up? Why now?

"Liv," He said in a sad, warning tone, lowering his head to avoid her eyes.

"Fitz," She quickly said to prevent him from changing the subject or leaving and she even reached her hand out to lightly touch his. "I know it's been six months and that I shouldn't be bringing it up right now, but I /have/ to. I need to. I have to talk to you about what happened. What happened to you..." She whispered, her voice sad and sympathetic; apologetic and guilty. "They said this went on for weeks, Fitz. They had to practically force you to eat and that you had to get on medication in order to sleep, but that they didn't help your nightmares. You blamed yourself for what happened, you starved yourself and all you would drink was scotch. You –"

"Stop!" He suddenly shouted, his eyes full of water as she said all of this. He couldn't break down, not right now. He didn't want to think of everything that happened six months ago. This was supposed to be a fun dinner between him and Olivia, wasn't it? So why was she turning it into a depressing night?

"Just let me -" Olivia tried, but she was cut off again.

"No, Liv!" With that, he gathered the boxes and plastic wear and stood up before walking into the kitchen in hopes to avoid this conversation. He angrily dropped everything into the trash and walked to the sink to wash his hands.

Sighing, Olivia quickly got up and followed him into the kitchen, watching him closely. "So, you're just going to drop this conversation? You're not even going to let me -"

"This is not a discussion we are going to have." He said through gritted teeth, rubbing his hands under the running water. Almost aggressively.

"Why don't you want to talk about it with me, Fitz!?" Olivia asked, desperate to have him open up to her, to have him let her be there for him now since she wasn't those months ago.

"It happened six months ago! Why do you want to talk about it NOW, Olivia!?" He shouted which caused her eyes to go wide. He used her full name and in moments like this, it meant he was serious and angry. Very serious and angry, but she didn't stop there. She didn't let it deter her. Just like when she was angry, he never let it deter him.

Shaking her head, Olivia took a deep breath to hold back her own tears, but that became increasingly difficult when she saw how full of hurt his eyes were and how his tears were already falling. She watched him still wash his hands and she was bewildered by it. The way he was roughly scrubbing his hands was odd, but then she remembered; he carried his dying son. Fitz carried his dying, bleeding son. The blood that tainted his hands from the moment he ran to Jerry's side.

She hurried up to his side and turned off the water before grabbing his wet hands and turning him to face her.

His body turned to face hers, his eyes full of pain and sadness, from guilt and regret and Olivia's heart immediately broke. "I wasn't there for you," She stated, her own voice full of guilt and regret. "I wasn't there for you six months ago, so let me be there for you now, Fitz. /Please/." She whispered, letting go of his hands and bringing her hands to his face to keep him looking at her; her thumbs lovingly stroking his chees. His expression was so broken and tired, and so hesitant and cautious. She could tell he was debating opening up. Not just because he didn't trust her as much, but also because of how sensitive the subject was. Talking about it meant reliving it, and he just wasn't ready for that.

"You haven't had an outlet, Fitz. You haven't properly...dealt with what happened, you haven't been allowed to grieve or talk to anyone because you didn't have anyone and if I hadn't left, you would have had me..." She whispered guiltily, her thumbs still stroking his cheek and he tried so hard not to fall into her embrace. He couldn't let himself do that, but she was obviously trying so hard. The last time Fitz had broken down with Olivia was after his father died and he knew he could count on her when it came to moments like that, but given everything that happened recently, he was still a little cautious.

But at the same time she was right. He had kept mostly everything inside and he didn't have anyone to vent to or to let his emotions out; he never had anyone to talk to, or to help him. The person he needed to do that with left him, so all he had was Mellie, and while he did grieve with Mellie, he never let himself break down in front of her again and he never completely opened himself up. Not like he could do with Olivia. He let Mellie break down, but he remained strong and kept everything inside while turning to alcohol, coffee, and sleep in an attempt to comfort himself. But with sleep came nightmares, and with nightmares came the fear of sleeping thus leading to little sleep. Nightmares about his son, about having his blood on his hands, and about Olivia leaving him. He never talked to anyone about those nightmares.

But Cyrus knew. Fitz had given him a brief talk about them, but only mentioned having nightmares and there had been one time Cyrus walked in on Fitz while he was sleeping alone in the guest room and he heard him asking for Olivia and another time when he was apologizing to Jerry, much like he did when he was at the hospital after he died. It was heart breaking to see and hear, but Fitz really never had anyone to break down with, to really let all of his emotions out with, so all this time he kept them built inside. Yes, he had nights when he cried, but it wasn't enough. He needed someone, he needed Olivia. And she had left.

Fitz remained silent, leaning against her hands, but still trying not to melt from her touch. He didn't feel ready to open up with her again. Not just yet, but he did appreciate her trying so hard to be there for him now. Six months later, she still knew him. She was still able to read him and know how and what he was feeling and she still cared, but he still felt hesitant with her. What if he did open up and at some point, for some reason, she left again?

Olivia frowned at him, She could tell he was still hesitant and unsure so with a sigh, she lowered her hands from his face. "Look, we...don't have to talk about it. Not yet, not until you feel ready, okay?" She offered with a sad smile, feeling disappointed but she knew she only had herself to blame. Slowly, she lead him out of the kitchen and to the living room, over to the couch where she sat them down. "I'll be right back." Olivia said as she turned around and just as she was about to start walking away, Fitz spoke up which stopped her from leaving.

"I can still see and feel his blood on my hands." He commented, staring down at his hands which were slightly shaky.

She frowned deeply again, her heart breaking for him so instead of leaving the room, she sat down with him and waited for him to say more about what happened. If he wanted to...

...A few hours passed and Olivia and Fitz had talked about everything that happened as well as some other things; both about Fitz and Olivia. They ended up getting off of the depressing topic of Jerry's death, Olivia's sudden disappearance, his nightmares etc and they ended up talking about other things like what she missed politics wise while she was gone. Any new staff, any new scandals, how both parties were doing, and then they talked about other random things and before they knew it both of them had drifted to sleep. Fitz was laying on his back with Olivia partly on top of him and partly between him and the back of the couch. Her head was on his chest with her right arm stretched across his chest, hugging onto him, and his head on the arm rest while his own arms were wrapped securely around her.

They both looked so peaceful in the position they were in but soon enough, Olivia's eyes fluttered open. She smiled softly to herself, feeling extremely comfortable with where she was at, but then she realized what happened. They must have fallen asleep and she hadn't expected that to happen. She slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position and glanced over at the clock on the couch side table which read 2:13 A.M. She groaned to herself, letting her head fall back against the back of the couch as she brought her hands up to rub her forehead. She hadn't meant to fall asleep; she hadn't meant to stay the night. That wasn't supposed to happen.

Sighing, Olivia put her hand on Fitz's chest and gently shook him and he started to stir, groaning tiredly and gently swatting the hand away which made her giggle and shake him again. "Fitz." She called, shaking him a little harder. "Fitz, wake up."

"Mm..." He groaned, his eyes slowly opening. "What time is it?" He asked tiredly, his vision slightly blurry but it soon started to clear.

"It's two-fourteen in the morning. I should get going." She stated hesitantly, sliding her way off of the couch and he sat up with a sigh.

"It's late, Liv. You don't have to go." He said, yawning.

"I do. I hadn't meant to stay the night, Fitz." She smiled apologetically and he nodded. They were taking this slow, they were being cautious and her staying the night wasn't either of those two things. Fitz agreed with it; her staying the night felt a little too soon, too, even though deep down he wanted her to. He wanted to lay in bed with her and wake up with her in the morning. But they couldn't...He wanted her to keep trying, to prove to him that she was in this for good.

"I'll call you later." She pecked his lips quickly with a smile, knowing he probably wouldn't kiss back, before gathering her things and exiting the Presidential Residence.

Still on the couch, Fitz let out a heavy sigh and dropped his head into his hands for a few moments before standing up and heading to the bedroom. The night went pretty well, and Olivia did great in his opinion,, but they still had some ways to go. It wasn't enough just yet. She usually ran when things got tough and/or deep, so he had to make sure she wouldn't run away this time. And until then, he couldn't let himself open up completely or completely trust her. His mind replayed all the times she left him, even after he willed to give everything up for her, and those memories made him extremely cautious and his mind kept screaming at him to resist and hold back until she /really/ proved to him that she wasn't going to leave. That she really did want to be with him and meant it. And if things got tough and she was still around and it didn't deter her, than that would be a good thing. A great and amazing thing. But as of right now, nothing was making it too tough.

Unfortunately, that was about to change.

A younger man in his mid to late twenties hurried into his office in the press corp area of the White House, quickly shutting the door and pulling out his phone.

"Hey, guess what I just saw?" The man said with a smirk, leaning back in his chair after he sat down. "Olivia Pope was here. At /two in the morning/, man! She was coming from the Presidential Residence side, I'm sure of it." He chuckled, starting to type something on his computer. "Yeah, hold on a sec." He lowered his phone and fiddled with it a little bit until he brought up the picture he took of Olivia leaving the White House grounds, seeming to be in a hurry as if wanting to be undetected and unseen. He then sent the picture over and brought the phone back up to his ear. "How's that for proof?" The man said with a smirk, glancing at his computer screen. "You're damn right we have a story..."

((**New update, yay! Sorry if it took long, but some chapters get longer so we tend to take a little longer when re-reading it and editing them, but we thank you for your patience and we hope you're still enjoying the story and are planning to stay until the end! A lot happened in this chapter, especially emotionally, and Fitz opened up a little bit because Olivia wants to be there for him! We believe he really didn't have anyone to properly grieve with and vent to, hence why all of that happened. Also, any ideas or assumptions as to why Fitz quit scotch? :P Hope you enjoyed this chapter! More to come! Review sare more than welcome and thank you for them all!))**


	11. Chapter 11

The sound of Olivia's ringtone went off loudly in her otherwise quiet bedroom and she let out a groan of annoyance as she turned onto her side to face her phone. Who was calling her this early? With a sigh, she reached over and grabbed her cell from the bedside table and glanced at the name and number on the phone. Who she saw really surprised Liv, but she decided to answer it.

"Abby," She mumbled tiredly into the phone, rubbing her eyes with her free hand.

"Liv, where the hell are you!?" She practically yelled into the phone, sounding half angry and half panicked.

"I'll be in a little later, Abs. I just needed to try and sleep a little more." Olivia responded, her voice full of sleep which was surprising since most mornings she didn't sleep in, but after getting home late last night, she managed to fall asleep. Into a peaceful sleep which she figured was due to how nice the dinner went, and how relieved she felt because of that.

"Why? Stay out late last night?" Abby asked partly sarcastically, but also with an accusing tone as if she knew something.

Olivia went silent, her brows furrowing in reaction to what her friend just said. She didn't know how to respond to that, but she wondered why Abby would ask her something like that. Clearly she had her suspicions, but Olivia didn't know how or why.

"Turn on your TV, Liv." Abby half demanded, half suggested and Olivia opened her eyes.

"Why? Is there something going on?" She asked, searching for her remote.

"Yeah! You're in the headlines!" She shouted into the phone and Olivia bolted up into a sitting position.

"What!?" She asked frantically and once she found the remote she immediately turned her TV on and her eyes went wide at what she saw on the screen.

_No, no. Not again! _

"Liv?" Abby asked, concern filling her voice due to the silence on Olivia's end.

"I'll be in in a few minutes." With that, Olivia immediately hung up her phone and stared at the TV in shock.

_**Olivia Pope spotted leaving The White House late last night.**_

Her dark-colored hues read that headline over and over and then her eyes shot wide at the picture that just appeared on her screen. Someone actually snapped a picture of her leaving the White House! And those who were great at details and body language would see that it looked like she was in a hurry and even trying to shield herself to prevent being seen. She couldn't believe this was happening again! Now it was only a matter a time before more rumors and articles started to flood the media, as well as the press being all over her. Hell, they were probably already outside her building right now.

The sound of her phone ringing brought Olivia out of her thoughts and when she saw who it was, she took a deep breath and answered the phone before putting it to her ear. "Hi." She answered, moving the covers off of her body and hanging her legs off of the bed.

"Hi." Fitz responded softly, almost worriedly, which made Olivia think that he probably knew about the headline. How couldn't he? The person who released the photo was obviously someone who worked at the White House seeing as it was taken so late at night.

"You saw it." She assumed, her eyes still staring at the TV and she could feel her anger rising at the text that appeared under the headline. _**Olivia Pope, once thought to be President Grant's mistress, has returned for more? **_She wanted nothing more than to slap the hell out of whoever was typing out the text and frankly, so did Fitz.

"I did. Cyrus woke me up because of it. When I find out who's responsible for this, Liv, I'll -" Before he could finish, Olivia cut in.

"Don't. They were just doing their job." She replied with an annoyed sigh, standing up and making her bed while holding the phone between her head and shoulder. As much as she did want them to be fired for this, what good would that do? It would probably make things even worse, anyway.

"I'm just sick of them releasing things about my personal life, Liv. Especially when you're involved because it isn't fair to you. And when they say things like mistress, it only pisses me off even more." Olivia could hear the deep anger in his voice and she knew it was more so because of the words being chosen to refer to Olivia as. Such as mistress or one night stand and she appreciated Fitz being so considerate, caring and protective over her like that.

"They're the press, Fitz. That's what they do and they won't stop." She said with a slight frown, sitting on the edge of her bed and staring at the TV again.

"Unless I have something to do with it." He muttered under his breath, his eyes staring at his laptop; the news page on the screen. He was having trouble keeping himself from marching over to the Press Corps and demanding for whoever released this photo and article to come forward

"/Fitz/." She warned softly, shaking her head.

Hearing the way she said his name, he let out a heavy sigh and nodded in defeat, rubbing his forehead and forcing himself to look away from his laptop. She was right. "How are you? Are you -"

"I'm fine." She quickly answered, giving a small smile. "I just...I didn't expect this. I shouldn't be surprised since I stayed too long last night and now I'm in the public again and I'm – I'll be fine." She said to herself more than to him, trying not to let this worry her or affect her like it did in the past.

"Livvie, if you're having second thoughts again. If you're getting scared and doubtful, you need to tell me..." He sounded worried, disappointed even, and also accusatory, but she couldn't blame him for that. He just hoped that, like the most recent time, this wouldn't make her change her mind about being with him, that this wouldn't make her suggest they shouldn't see each other or something along those lines. And if that were the case, it would just make him even more unsure and hesitant about being with her. Because she was getting scared and running again.

Olivia hesitated, her eyes staring intently at the screen as her name remained in the headline. She hated when this happened, but then again. she shouldn't be all that surprised. "I just didn't expect it to be this soon, that's all. I'll deal with it. I'll...handle it." She said, shutting off the TV and shaking her head.

"/We'll/ handle it." Fitz corrected with a soft smile, the sheer determination in her voice letting her know that he would do everything in his power to help her through this and that they would get though this together.

Olivia smiled to herself, feeling better thanks to her words, but she couldn't stay on the phone anymore. She had damage control to do. "I have to go. I need to get to the office." She said, standing up and heading into her closet.

"Alright. Do you want to come by later? Maybe for lunch. There's something..." He paused, looking outside of the window. "There's something I need to talk to you about." He mumbled, trying to hide the guilt in his voice.

Sighing, Olivia closed her eyes and responded sadly. "I don't know if that's a good idea right now, Fitz. Me being there could..."

"...Make everything worse. Right." He said with a small, humorless chuckle.

"Fitz." She said his name almost pleadingly, not wanting him to be angry.

"I understand, Liv. You don't want to be in the public like this and being around me will make that happen. I get it." He said, sounding rather sad and disappointed more than anything.

"That's not what I meant, Fitz. I just – Can we talk later? Please? I /have/ to get to the office and handle this." She pleaded, not wanting to leave the conversation on a bad note, but that's where it felt like it was going and she didn't have much of a choice.

"Sure. We'll talk later." With that he hung up, but at least he didn't sound as angry, thankfully. He mostly sounded...sad. It made her feel bad and she wished she could change what she said, but she knew she couldn't. They would talk about it later.

After grabbing her selected choice of clothing from her closet, she walked into the bathroom and dialed someone else's number. "Huck." She spoke into the phone, nodding. "Yes. Good. Out the back way." She said, smiling with another nod. "See you soon." With that, she ended the call, set her phone on the counter and stripped before getting in the shower.

–-

Going out the back way was actually a lot easier than Olivia thought and she and Huck managed to avoid being seen and got to OPA successfully, but getting in the building would be the difficult part. The media were waiting outside of the building, as expected, but the one good thing was that it wasn't as many reporters as the first time and that made her feel somewhat better. Still, she'd rather it be none, but she knew that was impossible.

"As soon as we get up to the office, we lock the door. No press goes in. Got it?" Olivia asked Huck whom parked the car and nodded in agreement.

"Go." With that order, Olivia and Huck both got out of the car and headed towards the building with quickness, but Olivia was immediately swarmed by the press and questions were being thrown at her from every direction. She did her best to ignore them, but she /had/ to say something. The questions and the comments were getting to her, and staying silent in situations like this wasn't always easy. Nor was it always the best thing to do.

"Look, my reason for being there at The White House is /my/ reason alone. Not for you, or anyone else to know about. It's called a personal and private life for a reason and you can keep asking all your silly and nosy questions, but you will never get an answer from me. So my suggestion?" Olivia said, seemingly un-phased by this. "Is to back off and talk about something else because this story is old and overused. There are much more important matters in this country to talk about instead of busying yourselves with someone's private life and looking desperate." After that insult, Olivia turned around and marched into the building with Huck holding the door open for her.

They quickly took the elevator up to their proper floor and once there, they shut the door, locked it, and Abby, Harrison and Quinn came out of their respected offices.

"Liv, we have clients threatening to fire us again. All because of some stupid rumor!" Abby shouted with a laugh, holding up a paper which had the list of clients and Olivia rolled her eyes.

She walked over to Abby and took the paper from her, reading through the list. "Like hell they will." She said, looking up at Abby again. "We're going to call each and every one of these people and remind them who it is that saved them from losing their jobs, their families, and even their lives. Who it is that saved them from a life of embarrassment and even prison time, and more importantly, who holds their secrets and saved them from them." Olivia said with pride, confidence and demand as she looked around at her team. "They wouldn't have made it without us and they still won't."

"Damn right." Harrison said as he flashed Liv a grin which was obviously telling her that he was proud of her and that he was happy she was back. This was the Olivia he knew, loved and missed.

Olivia grinned back at him and Abby did the same, obviously also excited that their boss, their Gladiator, whom they would go over a cliff for, was back. "Quinn, see if you can find out who ran this story in the first place and who took the photo." She said and Quinn nodded happily, glad she was back. Both Olivia and herself.

Suddenly, Olivia's smile faded and she took in a deep breath, knowing she had to say something before continuing to give out orders to the people she abandoned. "I know I was gone for six months." She started, looking at everyone; guilt clouding her eyes and flooding her voice. "I was gone for a long time, I left you all even after I said I wouldn't and...I'm sorry." It was always hard for her to apologize, but when she knew it was needed, she couldn't hold back. "Now I'm back and we're in the public eye and I'm giving out orders, which is probably unfair to you all, but I'm back. I /want/ to be back, if you all will have me back." Olivia said, as if asking for their permission, wanting to make sure her team was okay with this. After saying she couldn't leave them, she left them and she knew it was bad timing for them all. They needed her, just like Fitz did, and she left the city without thinking long and hard about how it would affect them and she felt bad for it. She wanted to be back, this was her home, her career and her life, with Fitz included, and she hoped that everyone would come to forgive and accept her again.

"It'll be like you never left." Harrison said with a wide smile, clenching his fist and giving her a friendly tap on her arm which made her smile.

"Always." Huck answered immediately after that with a smile of his own. Huck and Harrison never hesitated when it came to helping Olivia.

"Of course." Came Quinn right after. Everyone accepted Quinn when they found out her true identity, and after the whole B-613 fiasco, so of course she would accept Liv back. Afterall, Olivia had saved her life. More than once.

Silence took over the room and everyone looked at Abby. She had been the one most angry about Olivia leaving so Olivia wouldn't be surprised if Abby turned her down, but surprisingly, she didn't. "Over a cliff." Abby said with a wide smile and without warning, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Olivia which took her by surprise, but she hugged her friend back and after a moment Abby stepped back and nodded.

"Okay then. Quinn, find out who started that article and took that picture. Abby and Harrison, I want you to call all of these clients and remind them who saved their asses and Huck, see if you can find out what other rumors they are going to start from all of this and make sure no press gets inside of this building. I'm going to need you with me if I decide to go anywhere because you're the best when it comes to getting around without being seen." Olivia barked out the orders and everyone had smiles on their faces. Olivia Pope was definitely back.

"All cylinders people, let's go!" And with that, everyone scurried off while Olivia walked into her office. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, taking everything in. She opened her eyes and glanced around her office with a wide smile, extremely happy to be back where she belonged. Everything was the same. She walked over to her desk, running her fingers along the wooden furniture before looking over at the pictures on the table behind her desk. All the pictures she had were of her and Fitz while on the Campaign Trail and during the month or two of his Presidency.

Nostalgia hit her hard as she looked over these photos, her heart fluttering happily at the memories of her and Fitz so happy and blissfully in love. Oh, how she wished they would be able to go back to that. To being happy and blissful. She ran her fingers across the pictures, across his face, as she replayed the memory of each one in her mind. And maybe, just maybe, they would get to that point again.

The sound of a couple of light knocks startled Olivia out of her thoughts and when she turned to her door, she found Huck standing there. "Huck." She greeted, pulling her chair out and sitting down. "Everything okay?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah, I uh -" He paused, walking over to her desk. "Are you sure about this, Liv? I mean, /really/ sure about this? /All/ of it?" He asked, staring her dead in the eyes.

Olivia furrowed her brows, confused as to what he meant but after a moment or two, she felt like she understood. The way he asked her was with such concern and care, such worry, and she understood what he was asking about. Fitz, being with The President, and the publicity that came with it...that's what Huck was asking about. Huck was always able to read Olivia, to know how she was feeling and right now didn't seem to be any different. Not to mention the headline and photo was also a giveaway, and probably not just to Huck, but to the rest of her team, as well.

She repeated his question and after thinking it over, Olivia nodded. Was she sure? She nodded. "I am." She responded with a smile and she could feel her body becoming lighter by saying that. Like she felt some worry and fear being lifted off her shoulders, like she felt confident and hopeful about her and Fitz and everything working out. With them and the public. There was still some fear there, but her want and need to be with him, her love for him, and the confidence she was starting to feel in herself again, was starting to push that fear away.

Huck nodded in response to Olivia. He was worried about her, but if she was happy and if this is what she wanted, then he would support her and do anything and everything he could to help and support her and to protect her. Olivia was everything to him and he would do anything for her. He just wanted her to be loved and taken care of and to never be hurt and if Fitz is what she truly wanted, he would support that. And since Fitz seemed to make her happy and treat her right, that's also what truly mattered. He turned around, about to exit.

"Huck." She called when he turned away and he turned back around to look at her.

"Yeah?" He asked, walking back to her desk.

"Don't hate him. Please." Olivia said, pausing for a moment. "What has happened between Fitz and I in the past, our arguing and me getting hurt, don't hate him. I've hurt him, too. More than he's hurt me, so don't hate him. Care for him like you care for me, protect him like you protect me." She added, her voice soft and assuring. "He's risked his life for me a lot, for all of us, and he's never intentionally hurt me. Defiance was the only time, but that was my fault, so don't hate him or think he isn't good for me. Because he is." She assured him and she could see Huck becoming more at ease.

"Okay." Huck said just as softly, nodding to show he understood and would do just that. He then gave a smile to Olivia who smiled back. "And uh...thank you for coming back. I...missed you." Then he turned around and exited.

–-

"Let it go, Cyrus." Fitz demanded as he flipped through some papers he had in his hand as he sat at his desk in the Oval Office.

"Sir, with all due respect, letting it go is not an option. You need to address this and clear these rumors, sir! If you don't, they -"

"I said let it go!" He yelled, slamming his papers on the desk. "I will address this when the time is right. After Olivia and I discuss this /together/. Olivia was with me last night at the Presidential Residence, but nothing happened. We had dinner and we talked, Cy, and that is none of the public's concern.

"Nothing happened? Nothing happened!?" Cyrus shouted, then let out a humorless laugh. "Mr. President, you having dinner with Olivia Pope, your alleged /mistress/, is something that /did/ happen. It's something big, something the media will be on about for days, even weeks! You know how this goes, sir." He said, his voice getting a little quiet so no one outside the room could hear them. "You already went through this once."

"Don't you call her a mistress, Cy!" He was beyond tired of hearing Olivia being referred to as a mistress and a whore and he wouldn't hesitate to go off on anyone who called her as such. IT angered and sickened him. "I do know how this goes. The press will continue to talk about it, coming up with their own rumors and speculations, and then you tell me how bad it looks for my Presidency and how it could bring down this administration, but guess what Cy?" Fitz paused and Cyrus stood there silent, waiting. "There is one huge difference now." Fitz stood up from his desk and he felt his lips form into a grin. "I'm divorced. I'm single." The grin that was on Fitz's face was wider than ever and Cyrus knew how happy Fitz was about that. "I can be with whoever I want to be with and choose, and the person I /want/ to be with, the person I /choose/ is Olivia Pope."

"But if you date Olivia, sir, the rumors from months ago will resurface and they will question whether she was actually your mistress or not and then Mellie – "

"Mellie and I are on peaceful terms right now, Cy, so she is not the problem. The only problem here, is you. You worry too much, you panic too much, and things are different now. Things /will/ work out and yes, the media may bring back those rumors which may cause some trouble, but if they do, we'll deal with it. We'll handle it. Olivia and I are working things out. She is back, Cy, and she will handle this. /We/ will handle this no matter what is thrown our way and you have the option of either supporting us, or going against us. Which will it be?" Fitz asked Cyrus who was silent again.

He was shocked and astonished at how happy and confident The President sounded. More than ever before. It had been a long time since he heard Fitz sound like this and Cyrus was both impressed and surprised, but also, surprisingly, happy. Still, Cyrus was very unsure about all of this, but what choice did he have? He would have to support them or he'd be on his own, even without a job, and now that Fitz was divorced, and had been for months, maybe it would be easier.

"We aren't going to be together right away, Cyrus. After what happened, I'm...a little hesitant, myself, but we're working on it. Olivia and I are working on everything between us, so we're not rushing into anything. I'm not ready to open myself up and devote myself completely yet until I'm sure that she is sure." Fitz explained which managed to calm Cyrus down a little bit, and he had been about to respond but another interruption prevented that.

Suddenly a knock was heard on the door and in came Lauren after permission from The President. "Sorry to interrupt, Mr. President, but Olivia is on TV." Lauren stated and Fitz immediately changed his attention to his laptop, bringing up the website and finding the streaming link before clicking play. It showed Olivia walking up to the OPA building with the press waiting for her outside and it brought back memories of the first time this happened...which made Fitz feel guilty, but this time, Olivia was actually confronting the press and he couldn't help but grin proudly when she turned to the cameras and spoke into them.

_"Look, my reason for being there at The White House is my reason alone. Not for you, or anyone else to know about. It's called a personal and private life for a reason and you can keep asking, but you will never get an answer from me. So my suggestion? Is to back off and talk about something else because this story is old and overused." _

Fitz let out a soft chuckle after Olivia turned and headed inside the OPA building and he folded his arms across his chest and looked at Cyrus with the same grin. "It's Olivia Pope, Cy. She's back and she's handling it." He said proudly, never ceasing to be amazed by Olivia and never ceasing to believe in her.

Cyrus took in a deep breath and gave a nod. He still wasn't completely sure about it, but again, what choice did he have? They seemed sure about this and since he was single and not married, it would be much harder to convince them to not be together, but seeing how happy Fitz was, Cyrus didn't want to ruin this. Not again. Same for Olivia whom he still cared about. Maybe, just maybe, this could work out after all. It wouldn't be easy by any means, but what in life was? Most things in life were difficult, but did that mean one should give up? No. Fitz and Olivia have never given up on their love, even when they tried, so Cyrus could see it was truly impossible to keep these two apart, so there was no point in trying. And honestly? He didn't want to try to keep them apart anymore.

"You have my support, Mr. President." Cyrus said with a calm smile, determined to do whatever possible to help this work out. To help his two best friends work out.

**((Hey hey! Sorry for the late update! Still been very busy with work and other things, but we've still been working on this story, so don't worry! Not sure how long it will be. There may be a few chapters left and the updates may be a little spaced, but we're determined to finish this story! Thank you all so much for your patience and for continuing to read and review! We truly love and appreciate it and we hope you continue to do so! What do you think will happen now that the rumors are out again? Please leave reviews, suggestions and love! :) ))**


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